Celsius

American  

[sel-see-uhs, -shee-] / ˈsɛl si əs, -ʃi- /

noun

1. Anders 1701–44, Swedish astronomer who devised the Celsius temperature scale.

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adjective

1. Also Centigrade pertaining to or noting a temperature scale Celsius scale in which 0° represents the ice point and 100° the steam point. C

2. Thermodynamics. of or relating to a temperature scale having the same units as the Celsius scale but in which the zero point has been shifted so that the triple point of water has the exact value 0.01°; Celsius temperatures are computed from Kelvin values by subtracting 273.15 from the latter. C

Celsius British  

/ ˈsɛlsɪəs /

adjective

1.  C.  denoting a measurement on the Celsius scale

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Celsius ¹ Scientific  

/ sĕl′sē-əs /

1. Relating to a temperature scale on which the freezing point of water is 0° and the boiling point of water is 100° under normal atmospheric pressure.

2. See Note at centigrade

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Celsius ² Scientific  

1. Swedish astronomer who invented the centigrade thermometer in 1742.

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Celsius ¹ Cultural  

1. A temperature scale, also called centigrade, according to which water freezes at zero degrees and boils at one hundred degrees.

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Celsius ² Cultural  

1. A temperature scale in which zero degrees is the freezing point of water and 100 degrees is the boiling point. Temperature in this scale is generally denoted by °C or, in scientific usage, C alone. (Compare Fahrenheit (see also Fahrenheit).)

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Etymology

Origin of Celsius

C18: named after Anders Celsius (1701–44), Swedish astronomer who invented it

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Celsius

Temperatures in Europe are already 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than in the preindustrial era, compared with around 1.4 degrees for the Earth on average.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

And since Tuesday, Spain has been caught in another crushing heatwave, with temperatures in Guadalajara province forecast to rise as high as 39 Celsius on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

That’s because they typically use temperatures under 150 degrees Celsius and don’t need to take additional steps to create the much higher temperatures required in heavier industries such as steel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Raising temperatures by roughly 30 degrees Celsius could begin melting those ice reserves, allowing stable liquid water to appear on the surface.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Something else begins to fill me, though, an energy like the flaming heat of the sun—all 5,600 degrees Celsius of it—and I make a pact with myself.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau