celestial
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.relating to the sky or outer space, especially the stars and planets.
adj.pertaining to the sky or visible heaven; relating to the sun, moon, stars, and planets as astronomical objects.
Simple“Ancient sailors used celestial bodies like the North Star to find their way at sea.”
In context“The observatory provides an unobstructed view of various celestial phenomena, including meteor showers and planetary alignments.”
UsageOften used in technical phrases like 'celestial body' or 'celestial navigation'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
adj.related to heaven or a god; extremely beautiful or holy.
adj.belonging or relating to heaven; divine or supremely good.
Simple“The choir's voices had a celestial quality that filled the cathedral.”
In context“The poet describes the goddess descending from her celestial throne to intervene in the affairs of mortals.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a being that lives in heaven, such as an angel.
n.an inhabitant of heaven or the spiritual realm.
Simple“In the old story, celestials looked down from the clouds to watch over the city.”
In context“The epic poem depicts a war between the celestials and the fallen spirits for control of the higher realms.”
Usage celestial event · celestial bodies · celestial body
“But as the phenomenon progressed, cloud in some areas cleared at least partially, offering glimpses of the rare celestial event.”
“The group’s focus, rather than being for an illicit substance, was for the much-coveted eclipse glasses, which have prompted a frantic rush on shops before the celestial event.”
From Middle English celestial, from Old French celestial, from Medieval Latin caelestialis, from Latin caelestis, from caelum (“sky, heaven”). The meanings related to East Asia come from Celestial Empire, a former name of China.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.