Origin: Latin suffix -al
Ethereal has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
Pertaining to the hypothetical upper, purer air, or to the higher regions beyond the earth or beyond the atmosphere; celestial; otherworldly.
"The ancient text described her spirit as ethereal, suggesting it belonged not to our world but to a pure realm above the clouds."
In plain English: Ethereal means something so light and delicate that it seems almost too perfect to be real, like an angel or a dream.
"The singer's voice sounded ethereal, like music from another world."
Usage: Use ethereal to describe something so delicate and light that it seems almost too perfect for this world, such as a faint sound or translucent fabric. Avoid using it simply to mean "high up" in the sky, which is better expressed with words like celestial or atmospheric.
The word ethereal comes from Latin aetherius, which originally described things related to the sky, heaven, or the upper air. It traveled into English through Ancient Greek roots that carried this same meaning of being connected to the heavens above.