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
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 July 2024
Baby’s Breath Crown A short Afro adorned with a baby’s breath crown makes for an ethereal bridal hairstyle.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 9 July 2024
Processions pass through the streets and into cemeteries while the ethereal glow of hundreds and hundreds of candles lights the entire town.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2024
The effect was ethereal, with the glow of the candlelight dancing on the historied walls of the Villa Tasca.
—Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 26 June 2024
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“Ethereal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethereal. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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ethereal
adjective
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ethereal
adjective
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