céleste

Céleste is a term used in French and other Romance languages meaning celestial or heavenly. It derives from Latin caelestis, through Old French, and is written with an acute accent on the first e in French. In English, the form Celeste is common as a proper name or in phrases borrowed from French.

As an adjective, céleste describes things related to the heavens or sky, such as celestial bodies, phenomena, or themes in poetry and literature. In scientific French, terms like corps célestes (celestial bodies) are used to refer to objects in space. The word can also convey a sense of ethereal beauty or otherworldliness in cultural contexts.

As a given name, Céleste is used primarily in French-speaking regions. The name is also encountered in other languages in its Anglicized form Celeste. It is typically feminine and may be found in historical, literary, and contemporary contexts, sometimes carrying connotations of grace or brightness.

In music and terminology, the instrument celesta is related but spelled without an accent; it is a keyboard percussion instrument with a soft, bell-like timbre. The adjective céleste can appear in musical descriptions to convey a heavenly or celestial mood in titles or program notes.

See also: Celeste, Celestial. The term functions across linguistics, astronomy, onomastics, and the arts, with practical distinctions between its use as an adjective, a personal name, and, in some cases, a stylistic descriptor.