# Celsius

/ˈsɛɫsiəs/ (US) · CEFR A2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/celsius
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a scale for measuring temperature where water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees.

For teachers: a scale of temperature in which the interval between the freezing and boiling points of water is divided into 100 degrees. Often capitalised in formal contexts.

## Examples

- The temperature today is twenty degrees Celsius.
- Most countries use the Celsius scale for weather reports and scientific measurements instead of Fahrenheit.
- The experiment requires the solution to be maintained at exactly thirty-seven degrees Celsius to mimic the internal environment of the human body.

## Pitfalls

- Not "It is 20 Celsius degrees outside." but "It is 20 degrees Celsius outside." — The word 'degrees' must come before 'Celsius' when giving a specific temperature.

## Usage notes

- Usually follows a number and the word 'degrees'; often abbreviated as 'C' in writing.

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