Ceiling
/ˈsiːlɪŋ/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe upper inside surface of a room or building.
/ˈsiːlɪŋ/
The upper interior surface of a room or other enclosed space.
The ceiling was decorated with intricate carvings.
💡 Simply: The ceiling is the top part of a room. It's like the roof inside your house!
👶 For kids: The top of the room!
More Examples
The ceiling fan kept the room cool.
How It's Used
"The builders installed a new plaster ceiling in the living room."
"The low ceiling made the room feel cramped."
A maximum limit or restriction.
/ˈsiːlɪŋ/
An upper limit or restriction.
There's a ceiling on how much we can spend.
💡 Simply: A ceiling can also be a limit. Like, if you have a 'spending ceiling', you can't spend more than that amount of money.
👶 For kids: A limit or a top.
More Examples
She hit her ceiling in terms of career advancement.
How It's Used
"The company reached its sales ceiling this quarter."
"There's a price ceiling on essential goods."
From Middle English *ceeling, from Old French ciel 'sky, heaven', ultimately from Latin caelum 'sky'. The original sense referred to the upper surface of a room, mirroring the sky.
The word's usage relating to the physical structure of buildings predates its figurative use as a limit or restriction.
Memory tip
Imagine the sky (celestial) as the ceiling of the world.