empyrean

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The highest heaven, supposed by the ancients to be a region of pure light and fire or else composed of ether, and sometimes seen as the dwelling-place of God or other divine beings; the highest celestial sphere according to ancient and medieval astronomy.
adj
  1. Of the sky or the heavens, and particularly relating to the highest celestial sphere in premodern cosmology; celestially refined.

Pronunciation

/ɛmˌpaɪˈɹiːn̩/ /ɛmˈpɪɹi.ən/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-empyrean.wav

Word forms

empyrean empyreans

Etymology

From Latin empȳreus, from Ancient Greek ἐμπύριος (empúrios), from ἐν (en, “in”) + πῦρ (pûr, “fire”) (whence English pyre).

Synonyms

Related words

Derived words

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