Wiktionary

celestial

See also: Celestial and Célestial

English

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WOTD – 24 April 2026
 
A montage of the planets in the Solar System: (from top to bottom) Mercury, Venus, Earth (and the Moon), Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Other than Earth, they are called celestial bodies (adjective sense 1).

Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂i-lom
Proto-Italic *kailom?
Latin caelum
Latin terrestris
Latin -estris
Latin caelestis
Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?
Proto-Italic *-ālis
Latin -ālis
Medieval Latin caelestiālislbor.
Old French celestialbor.
Middle English celestial
English celestial

    The adjective is derived from Late Middle English celestial (“relating to the heavens or sky; (Christianity) relating to heaven, divine, heavenly”),[1] borrowed from Old French celestial (modern French céleste), from Medieval Latin caelestiālis (“celestial”), or directly from its etymon Latin caelestis (“of or in the heavens, heavenly; (figurative) of the gods, divine; etc.”), from caelum (“heaven; sky”)[2] (ultimate etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilom (“whole”)) + -estris (suffix meaning ‘dwelling or located in’ forming adjectives from nouns).

    The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.[2]

    Adjective sense 2.2 (“of or relating to China”) and noun sense 3 (“native of China”) refer to Celestial Empire (a calque of Mandarin 天朝 (Tiāncháo, “(literary) the Chinese Empire, China”), from 天 (tiān, “heaven; sky”) + 朝 (cháo, “dynasty; emperor’s reign; imperial court; etc.”)), a dated name for China when it was subject to imperial rule.

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    celestial (not generally comparable, comparative more celestial, superlative most celestial)

    2. (not comparable) Of, relating to, or located in the sky or outer space, where the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars are visible.
      Synonym: (obsolete) celest
      • c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], signature I4, verso:
        [G]oe vvith ſpeede / To ſome forlorne and naked Hermytage, / Remote from all the pleaſurs of the vvorld: / There ſtay vntill the tvvelue Celeſtiall Signes / Haue brought about the annuall reckoning.
      • 1597, Richard Hooker, “Of Festivall Daies and the Natural Causes of Their Conuenient Institution”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, book V, section 69, page 191:
        [W]e muſt of neceſſitie vſe the benefit of yeares, daies, hovvers, minutes, vvhich all grovve from cœleſtiall motion.
      • 1790, Charles Vallencey, “Of the Use and Application of the Cælestial Alphabet as an Astronomical Character; and of the Origin of the Figures on the Cælestial Globe”, in Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis. […] [Collection of Irish Matters], volume V, Dublin: […] R. Marchbank, […], →OCLC, pages 191–192:
        [T]he pictures of the cæleſtial globe vvere deſigned memoriæ cauſâ [for memory's sake], by the ſouthern Scythians, vvho dvvelt in Chaldæa, Armenia, &c.— […] [W]e mean to prove, that the ſouthern Scythians, from vvhom the Iriſh and primitive inhabitants of Britain are deſcended, vvere the authors or inventors of thoſe extraordinary figures on the cæleſtial charts, vvhich they drevv or painted as repreſentations of the things expreſſed by the vvord formed of the aſtronomical characters.
      • 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 55:
        He [Ebenezer Scrooge] then conveyed him and his sister into the veriest old well of a shivering best-parlour that ever was seen, where the maps upon the wall, and the celestial and terrestrial globes in the windows, were waxy with cold.
    3. (archaic, not comparable)
      1. (humorous) Of a nose: upturned, as if towards the sky.
        • 1848, Eden Warwick [pseudonym; George Jabet], “Of Feminine Noses”, in Nasology: Or, Hints towards a Classification of Noses, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 203:
          A Celestial Nose in a woman is very frequently an index of wit. […] A Celestial-nosed woman is only more witty than a similarly gifted man, because the impudence which it invariably indicates is backed by woman's ever-ready tact and quickness.
          A parodic work.
      3. (often humorous) Of or relating to China; Chinese.
        • 1829, Walter Savage Landor, “Conversation III. The King of Ava and Rao-Gong-Fao.”, in Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, volume V (second series, volume II), London: James Duncan, […], →OCLC, page 113:
          If there is a man in the Celestial Empire, who will lay his hand upon his breast, and declare in the presence of our God, that he hath derived more pleasure from truth than from lies, then let Rao-Gong-Fao be thrown on his belly, and let his back be channelled for a bamboo-bed.
        • 1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter LIV, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 396:
          We ate chow-chow with chop-sticks in the celestial restaurants; […]
        • 1878 July–October, Henry James, Jr., chapter VI, in The Europeans. A Sketch. […], volume I, London: Macmillan and Co., published 1878, →OCLC, page 246:
          [H]e possessed the most delightful chinoiseries—trophies of his sojourn in the Celestial Empire: […]
        • 1893 April 12 (date delivered), Harry W[ithers] Chubb, “The Construction of Locks and Safes”, in Journal of the Society of Arts, volume XLI, number 2,108, London: […] [F]or the [Royal] Society [of Arts] by George Bell and Sons, […], published 14 April 1893, →OCLC, page 512, column 2:
          It is no wonder that loose, portable locks, like those used to secure baggage of all kinds in transit, should become well known and distributed, especially along the ancient lines of trade. But as this style of padlock is found to be the almost universal one now in China, one is tempted to ask who was the first and true inventor, Roman or Celestial?
    4. (figurative, comparable) Extremely beautiful, good, or pleasurable; divine, heavenly, wonderful.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:wonderful
      • 1713 March 24 (Gregorian calendar), [Alexander Pope], “Monday, March 16. 1713.”, in The Guardian, number 4, London: […] J[acob] Tonson […]; and sold by A. Baldwin […], →OCLC, page [2], column 1:
        I think this a Pattern of a nevv Sort of Stile, not yet taken Notice of by the Criticks, vvhich is above the Sublime, and may be called the Celeſtial; that is, vvhen the moſt ſacred Phraſes appropriated to the Honour of the Deity are applied to a Mortal of Good Quality.
      • 1974 July 16, Cecil Adams [pseudonym], “The Straight Dope: How Can You Tell a Good Coconut from a Yukky One?”, in Chicago Reader‎[1], Chicago, Ill.: Chicago Reader, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 March 2023:
        Dear Cecil: […] [W]hen are they in season and is there any way to judge which one to bring home? A really bad coconut is soooo yukky. But a really good coconut is so celestial. […] Sadie, Chicago. / Cecil replies: […] If you can hear the milk sloshing inside, odds are you’ve got a celestial coconut rather than a yukky one.
    5. (religion, not comparable) Of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist; heavenly.
      Synonym: (obsolete) celest
      1. Of or relating to one or more deities, or the Christian God; divine, heavenly.
      2. (Mormonism) Of or relating to the celestial kingdom, the highest degree of glory.
        Coordinate terms: telestial, terrestrial
        • 1947 April 4, Harold B[ingham] Lee, “Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles”, in One Hundred Seventeenth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Held in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah: April 4, 5 and 6, 1947: With Report of Discourses, Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 46:
          We are now living and obeying celestial laws that will make us candidates for celestial glory, or we are living terrestrial laws that will make us candidates for either terrestrial glory, or telestial law. The place we shall occupy in the eternal worlds will be determined by the obedience we yield to the laws of these various kingdoms during the time we have here in mortality upon the earth.
        • 1997 October 4, Richard J. Maynes, “The Sustaining of Church Authorities and Officers [Elder Richard J. Maynes]”, in Official Report of the One Hundred Sixty-seventh Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Held in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah: October 4 and 5, 1997, Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, →OCLC, page 40, column 1:
          As young people growing up in this upside-down world, you have quite a challenge confronting the various pressures of modern-day life. How will you make it through your teenage years spiritually prepared for your celestial future? How will you connect your celestial goals with your everyday life?

    Alternative forms

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    Translations

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    Adverb

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    celestial (comparative more celestial, superlative most celestial)

    1. Synonym of celestially (“in a celestial manner (adjective senses)”).

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    Noun

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    celestial (plural celestials)

    1. (chiefly religion)
      1. An inhabitant of heaven.
      2. (chiefly in the plural) A thing from heaven; also, a heavenly quality.
        • 1582, The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ: […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Rheims: Iohn Fogny, →OCLC, Hebrewes 9:21–23, page 622:
          The tabernacle alſo & al the veſſel of the miniſterie he in like maner ſprinkled vvith bloud. And al things almoſt according to the lavv are cleanſed vvith bloud: and vvithout ſheading of bloud there is not remiſſion. It is neceſſarie therfore that the examplers of the cœleſtials be cleanſed vvith theſe: but the cœleſtials them ſelues vvith better hoſtes than theſe.
          In Hebrews 9:23 in the New International Version of the Bible, cœleſtials is translated as “heavenly things”.
    2. (figurative, dated) A person who is extremely beautiful, of high status, or intelligent, etc.
      • 1874, John Stuart Blackie, “The Culture of the Intellect”, in On Self-culture: Intellectual, Physical, and Moral: A Vade Mecum for Young Men and Students, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, Armstrong, and Company, →OCLC, paragraph X, page 39:
        Cast a firm glance also on those notable men, who, though not achieving any valuable positive results of speculation, were useful in their day, as protesting against widespread popular error, and rousing people into trains of more consistent thinking and acting. […] [Y]ou will feel only too painfully that you cannot always lay hold of them in the first stage of your studies; you will require steps to mount up to shake hands with these Celestials; and these steps are little books.
    4. (obsolete) Sometimes in the form Celestial: a native of China; a Chinese person.
      • 1897, J[oseph] Ll[ewelyn] Thomas, “The North Pacific”, in Journeys among the Gentle Japs in the Summer of 1895 […], London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company […], →OCLC, pages 23–24:
        Three celestials died during the voyage, and, in accordance with the contract, their remains were embalmed and carried on to China. […] [T]he Chinese attach great importance to certain religious offices being performed in presence of the dead man's relics, or at the spot where they are buried, by surviving relatives and descendants.

    Alternative forms

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    References

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    1. ^ “celestiāl, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 “celestial, adj. and n.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2024; “celestial, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

    Further reading

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    Anagrams

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    Catalan

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    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    celestial m or f (masculine and feminine plural celestials)

    1. celestial, heavenly (of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist)
    2. heavenly, divine (extremely beautiful, good, or pleasurable)

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    Galician

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    Etymology

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    From Old Galician-Portuguese celestial, borrowed from Medieval Latin caelestiālis (“celestial”), from Latin caelestis (“celestial”), from caelum (“sky”).

    Adjective

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    celestial m or f (plural celestiais)

    1. celestial, heavenly (of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist)
    2. heavenly, divine (extremely beautiful, good, or pleasurable)
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    Further reading

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    Old Occitan

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from Medieval Latin caelestialis, from Latin caelestis.

    Adjective

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    celestial m or f (plural celestials)

    1. celestial
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    Portuguese

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    Etymology

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    Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese celestial, a borrowing from Medieval Latin caelestiālis (“celestial”), from Latin caelestis (“celestial”), from caelum (“sky”). By surface analysis, celeste +‎ -ial.

    Pronunciation

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    • (Brazil) IPA(key): /se.les.t͡ʃiˈaw/ [se.les.t͡ʃɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /se.lesˈt͡ʃjaw/ [se.lesˈt͡ʃjaʊ̯]
      • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /se.leʃ.t͡ʃiˈaw/ [se.leʃ.t͡ʃɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /se.leʃˈt͡ʃjaw/ [se.leʃˈt͡ʃjaʊ̯]
     
    • (Portugal) IPA(key): /sɨ.lɨʃˈtjal/ [sɨ.lɨʃˈtjaɫ]
      • (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /sɨ.lɨʃˈtja.li/

    • Hyphenation: ce‧les‧ti‧al

    Adjective

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    celestial m or f (plural celestiais)

    1. (religion) heavenly (relating to heaven)
      Synonym: celeste
      Antonyms: infernal, terreno

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    Further reading

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    Spanish

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from Medieval Latin caelestiālis, from Latin caelestis, based on caelum (“sky, heaven”).

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    celestial m or f (masculine and feminine plural celestiales)

    1. celestial, heavenly (of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist)
    2. heavenly, divine (extremely beautiful, good, or pleasurable)

    Derived terms

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    Further reading

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