ethereal

Meaning

Adj

1. Pertaining to the presupposition of an invisible air-like element permeating all of space, or to the higher regions beyond the earth or beyond the atmosphere.
2. Pertaining to the immaterial realm, as symbolically represented by, or (in earlier epochs) conflated with, such atmospheric and extra-atmospheric concepts.
3. Consisting of ether; hence, exceedingly light or airy; tenuous; spiritlike; characterized by extreme delicacy, as form, manner, thought, etc.

Noun

Ellipsis of ethereal wave (“music genre”).

Opposite of

earthly, corporeal, corporal

Synonyms

aerial

celestial

aery

supernal

light

aeriform

airy

gossamer

delicate

unbodied

exquisite

fragile

frail

frangible

friable

hovering

immaterial

intangible

lightsome

lightweight

lite

pale

rare

refined

rickety

superlunar

superlunary

supernatural

translunar

unearthly

unworldly

light-duty

translunary

transmundane

aired

ambrosial

breakable

brittle

crumbly

diaphanous

divine

elysian

essential

Translations

éthéré

etereo

etéreo

ätherisch

eteri

etéreo

celeste

aérien

céleste

αιθέριος

أثيري

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪˈθɪə.ɹɪ.əl/

Etymology

From Latin aetherius (“of or pertaining to the ether, the sky, Heaven or the air or upper air”), from Ancient Greek αἰθέριος (aithérios, “of or pertaining to the upper air”). By surface analysis, ether + -ial.