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Cosmetic vs Ethereal - What's the difference?

cosmetic | ethereal |

As adjectives the difference between cosmetic and ethereal

is that cosmetic is imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion while ethereal is pertaining to the hypothetical upper, purer air, or to the higher regions beyond the earth or beyond the atmosphere; celestial; otherworldly; as, ethereal space; ethereal regions.

As a noun cosmetic

is any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin, eg lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner; makeup.

cosmetic

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion.
    • a cosmetic preparation
  • * Alexander Pope
    • First, robed in white, the nymph intent adores, / With head uncovered, the cosmetic powers.
  • External or superficial; pertaining only to the surface or appearance of something.
    • Fortunately, the damage to the house was mostly cosmetic and a bit of paint covered it nicely.

    Related terms

    * cosmos

    Derived terms

    * cosmetic surgery

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin, e.g. lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner; makeup.
  • A feature existing only on the surface.

    • Hyponyms

    * See also

    See also

    (Cosmetics) * makeup

    External links

    * * *

    ethereal

    English

    Alternative forms

    * aethereal * aetherial * * (obsolete) * * (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Pertaining to the hypothetical upper, purer air, or to the higher regions beyond the earth or beyond the atmosphere; celestial; otherworldly; as, ethereal space; ethereal regions.
  • * 1667 : , Paradise Lost , book VII
    • Go, heavenly guest, ethereal messenger.
  • * 1862 : , Walking .
    • I trust that we shall be more imaginative, that our thoughts will be clearer, fresher, and more ethereal , as our sky,...
  • Consisting of ether; hence, exceedingly light or airy; tenuous; spiritlike; characterized by extreme delicacy, as form, manner, thought, etc.
  • * 1733 : , An Essay on Man
    • Vast chain of being, which from God began, Natures ethereal , human, angel, man.
  • Delicate, light and airy.

    • Derived terms

    * ethereality * ethereally * etherealness * etherealization * etherealisation * etherealizing

    References

    * American English forms