Etherealnesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world
2. A state of existence that embodies celestial beauty and an airy grace, often beyond the physical realm
3. The characteristic of being otherworldly or intangible, evoking a sense of spiritual or heavenly elegance

Etymology: "Etherealnesses" is the plural of "etherealness," so it names several instances or kinds of the quality. That quality comes from "ethereal," which descends from the Greek "aithērios," meaning upper air or heavens, the realm beyond the earthly atmosphere. The "-ness" ending is an English suffix that turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality, as in "kindness" or "darkness." Combining the two gives a compound that literally means the condition of belonging to the upper air. Its plural form is rare, since the abstract noun is usually used in the singular for the general quality, so the plural tends to appear when writers want to speak of particular traces of heavenliness or distinct examples of it.

Synonyms: delicateness, lightness