Dictionary.com

ethereal

[ ih-theer-ee-uhl ]
/ ÉŖĖˆĪøÉŖÉ™r i əl /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: ethereal / ethereality / ethereally / etherealness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
light, airy, or tenuous: an ethereal world created through the poetic imagination.
extremely delicate or refined: ethereal beauty.
heavenly or celestial: gone to his ethereal home.
of or relating to the upper regions of space.
Chemistry. pertaining to, containing, or resembling ether.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Also aeĀ·theĀ·reĀ·al (for defs. 1-4) .

Origin of ethereal

First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin aethere(us) (from Greek aithĆ©rios ), equivalent to aether- ether + -eus adjective suffix + -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM ethereal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ethereal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ethereal

ethereal
/ (ÉŖĖˆĪøÉŖÉ™rÉŖÉ™l) /

adjective
extremely delicate or refined; exquisite
almost as light as air; impalpable; airy
celestial or spiritual
of, containing, or dissolved in an ether, esp diethyl etheran ethereal solution
of or relating to the ether

Derived forms of ethereal

ethereality or etherealness, nounethereally, adverb

Word Origin for ethereal

C16: from Latin aethereus, from Greek aitherios, from aithēr ether
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK