Empyreal
/ɛmˈpɪəriəl/noun
Relating to the highest heaven or the celestial sphere; heavenly or sublime.
Did you know?Empyreal comes through Latin from Greek empyrios, linked to the ancient cosmology of a blazing upper heaven, where the purest celestial fire was imagined to burn.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*péh₂wr̥
“fire”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐμπύριος (empyrios)
“in or of fire; fiery”
Late Latin
Latin
empyreus
“the highest heaven, thought to be made of fire”
Middle English
English
empyreal
“of the highest heaven; celestial”
Modern English
English
empyreal
“heavenly, sublime, or relating to the upper sky”