ethereal
adjective
William Beebe
Did you know?
If you're burning to know the history of ethereal, you're in the right spirit to fully understand the word's etymology. The ancient Greeks believed that the Earth was composed of earth, air, fire, and water, but that the heavens and its denizens were made of a purer, less tangible substance known (in English transliteration) as either quintessence or ether. Ether was often described as an invisible light or fire; its name comes from the Greek verb aithein, meaning "to ignite" or "to blaze." When ethereal, the adjectival kin of ether, debuted in English in the 1500s, it described regions beyond the Earth or anything that seemed to originate from them.
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Examples of ethereal in a Sentence
James Factora, Them, 1 Nov. 2024
From the Curiosity rover’s perspective, clouds look ethereal and gauzy, like wispy puffs.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Their fragrances possess an ethereal, minimalist luxury where each note stands out, and this same approach carries over to their classic candles.
—Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2024
However, on occasion, some ethereal glow or lighting artifact will materialize in the forest, forcing the eye to try and discern its shape, its distance, and its meaning, without any of these having concrete or objective definition.
—Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near ethereal
Cite this Entry
“Ethereal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethereal. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
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ethereal
adjective
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ethereal
adjective
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