celestial

views updated May 29 2018

celestial heavenly (ultimately from Latin caelum ‘heaven’).
Celestial City in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, the object of Christian's journey, heaven.
Celestial Empire the Chinese Empire; the name is recorded in English from the early 19th century.
celestial hierarchy in Christian theology, comprising each of three divisions of angelic beings (each comprising three orders) in the ninefold celestial system described in a 4th-century work formerly attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite (see Dionysius4) and now to Pseudo-Dionysius; angels collectively, the angelic host. The traditional orders of the ninefold hierarchy (from first to ninth) are, seraphs, cherubs, thrones, dominations, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels.

celestial

views updated May 23 2018

ce·les·tial / səˈleschəl/ • adj. positioned in or relating to the sky, or outer space as observed in astronomy: a celestial body. ∎  belonging or relating to heaven: the celestial city. ∎  supremely good: the celestial beauty of music.DERIVATIVES: ce·les·tial·ly adv.

celestial

views updated May 29 2018

celestial XIV. — OF. — medL. celestiālis, f. L. cælestis, f. cælum heaven; see -IAL.

More From encyclopedia.com