ethereal
[ ih-theer-ee-uhl ]
/ ɪˈθɪər i əl /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!
Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Also ae·the·re·al (for defs. 1-4) .
Origin of ethereal
OTHER WORDS FROM ethereal
Words nearby ethereal
Ethelwulf, ethene, ethenyl, ethephon, ether, ethereal, etherealize, ethereal oil, Etherege, etherify, etherize
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for ethereal
“Have” vs. “Has”: When To Use Each One
What Is An Em Dash And How Do You Use It?
Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative?
Systematic vs. Systemic: There’s A System To The Difference
What Do “a.m.” And “p.m.” Stand For?
The Evolving Language Around The Autism Spectrum: What You Need To Know
British Dictionary definitions for ethereal
ethereal
/ (ɪˈθɪərɪəl) /
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, adverbWord Origin for ethereal
C16: from Latin aethereus, from Greek aitherios, from aithēr ether
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for ethereal
ethereal
[ ĭ-thîr′ē-əl ]
adj.
Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible.
Of, relating to, or containing ether.
Other words from ethereal
e•the′re•al′i•ty (-ăl′ĭ-tē) null n.e•the′re•al•ly adv.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.