What does "cerulean" mean?
A greenish-blue color.
Cerulean
/səˈɹuːli.ən/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A greenish-blue color.
- Grammar: cerulean is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: azure, air, azure, azure.
- Useful contrasts: brown, crimson, gray.
- Usage evidence: A cerulean sky and breezy warm weather was today, the 20th of July of 2025, here on Lulu Island. As usual, I walk to Tim Hortons café for summer drinks. At home, there is a Filipino dessert of sticky rice balls, jackfruit pieces, and tapioca pearls in coconut milk. Lunch was a curry rice dish much like Beef Rendang, but it wasn't. I walked my 72nd time this "Krismas" year to the "Clam Temple," the Roman Catholic church at St. Albans Road. On the way, in the immaculate garden of the Korean lady, was a hummingbird floating in the air. I delighted myself by whispering in Esperanto, "Kolibro!" (Hummingbird!). At the church lobby were two Kenyan ladies in beautiful colourful African gowns. I complimented: "Your clothing is really nice!" As I was sitting at the back of the near-empty nave, a Filipina worshipper approached and irksomely asked that I take off my green safari hat as a sign of respect. "Sorry!" I exclaimed. Later, at the front of the nave was an ongoing baptism of a Filipino baby boy named Mateo. Filipinos gathered around, there with the white minister and a Filipina nun. As I walked home, I said in Esperanto, "La loko estas magia!" (The place is magical!).
How to use "cerulean"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cerulean" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cerulean" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cerulean" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cerulean" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cerulean" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "azure" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cerulean", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A greenish-blue color. countable, uncountable
"For our blues we have the azures and ceruleans, lapis lazulis, the light and dusty, the powder blues, the deeps: royal, sapphire, navy, and marine […]"
- 2 a light shade of blue wordnet
- 3 Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Jamides. countable
Adjective
- 1 Sky-blue.
"As far to the west as Monica could see, her world was a sea of fog, […]. Above it arched a cerulean sky; as the sun climbed to the zenith, […], the fog gradually took on a bluish tinge."
Adjective
- 1 of a deep somewhat purplish blue color similar to that of a clear October sky wordnet
Example
"A cerulean sky and breezy warm weather was today, the 20th of July of 2025, here on Lulu Island. As usual, I walk to Tim Hortons café for summer drinks. At home, there is a Filipino dessert of sticky rice balls, jackfruit pieces, and tapioca pearls in coconut milk. Lunch was a curry rice dish much like Beef Rendang, but it wasn't. I walked my 72nd time this "Krismas" year to the "Clam Temple," the Roman Catholic church at St. Albans Road. On the way, in the immaculate garden of the Korean lady, was a hummingbird floating in the air. I delighted myself by whispering in Esperanto, "Kolibro!" (Hummingbird!). At the church lobby were two Kenyan ladies in beautiful colourful African gowns. I complimented: "Your clothing is really nice!" As I was sitting at the back of the near-empty nave, a Filipina worshipper approached and irksomely asked that I take off my green safari hat as a sign of respect. "Sorry!" I exclaimed. Later, at the front of the nave was an ongoing baptism of a Filipino baby boy named Mateo. Filipinos gathered around, there with the white minister and a Filipina nun. As I walked home, I said in Esperanto, "La loko estas magia!" (The place is magical!)."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cerulean"?
Common synonyms include: azure, air, azure, azure, azure-blue, azure-colored.
How do you use "cerulean" in a sentence?
A cerulean sky and breezy warm weather was today, the 20th of July of 2025, here on Lulu Island. As usual, I walk to Tim Hortons café for summer drinks. At home, there is a Filipino dessert of sticky rice balls, jackfruit pieces, and tapioca pearls in coconut milk. Lunch was a curry rice dish much like Beef Rendang, but it wasn't. I walked my 72nd time this "Krismas" year to the "Clam Temple," the Roman Catholic church at St. Albans Road. On the way, in the immaculate garden of the Korean lady, was a hummingbird floating in the air. I delighted myself by whispering in Esperanto, "Kolibro!" (Hummingbird!). At the church lobby were two Kenyan ladies in beautiful colourful African gowns. I complimented: "Your clothing is really nice!" As I was sitting at the back of the near-empty nave, a Filipina worshipper approached and irksomely asked that I take off my green safari hat as a sign of respect. "Sorry!" I exclaimed. Later, at the front of the nave was an ongoing baptism of a Filipino baby boy named Mateo. Filipinos gathered around, there with the white minister and a Filipina nun. As I walked home, I said in Esperanto, "La loko estas magia!" (The place is magical!).
How do you pronounce "cerulean"?
Pronounced /səˈɹuːli.ən/.
Etymology
From Latin caeruleus (“blue”) + -an, from caelum (“sky, heaven”) + -uleus (diminutive suffix).