What is the Latin word for heaven, the heavens?

The usual Latin words for “heaven, the heavens” are caelum, deus, Olympus; also sublīmis, ferō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“heaven, the heavens” in Latin

caelumheaven (where the stars and the Milky Way is); sky; climate, weather deusgod, deity; the ancient Roman “Dī Penātēs,” personal or family gods of hearth and home, embodied as small statues or ico OlympusOlympus, the highest mountain in Greece, thought of as the home of the gods in Ancient Greek mythology.; heaven; One of sublīmisuplifted, high, lofty, exalted, sublime; elevated, raised ferōto bear; to carry; to support, hold up; to suffer, tolerate, endure, bear

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

heaven, the heavens

caelum (in all the relations of the English word, even for God, the gods; but in this signification first in post-Augstan poetry and prose; in prae-Augustan prose, always Deus, dii. A poetic expression for heaven is polus): Olympus (heaven, as the residence of the gods, in the poets): piorum sedes et locus: loca coelestia, noun plur. (as the seat or residence of the blessed). The whole heavens, omne caelum (☞ the plur., omnia coela, is a Hebraism): toward heaven, in or ad caelum: to ascend to heaven, in caelum ascendere; sublime (☞ not in sublime) ferri; sublimem abire: from heaven, down from heaven, e caelo; de caelo; divinitus (by divine ordinance. ☞ Avoid, as unclassical, caelitus): to fall from heaven, e caelo cadere: to come down, be despatched from heaven, de caelo delabi or demitti: to move heaven and earth, caelum ac terras miscere (Liv., 4, 3) [Vid: “to leave no stone UNTURNED”]: to go to heaven, in caelum venire or migrare: to be admitted into heaven (the region of the blessed), piorum sedem et locum consequi (Cic., Phil., 14, 12, 32); or vitae immortalitatem consequi (ib., extr.): heaven stands open for anybody, aditus ad caelum alicui patet: his spirit returned to heaven, whence it came, animus ejus in caelum, ex quo erat, rediit. I feel myself in heaven (quite happy), in caelo sum (Vid: Cic., Att., 2, 19, 1; 2, 20, 4): I think myself in heaven when, etc., digito me caelum puto attingere, si, etc. (Cic., Att., 2, 1, 6); deus sum, si, etc. (Ter. Hec., 5, 4, 3); immortalitas mihi data or parta est, si, etc. (Plaut. Merc., 3, 4, 18; Terentianus, Andr., 5, 5, 4, Ruhnken.): Heaven (i. e., God) crown your wishes! dii tibi dent (or, for us, Deus tibi det) quae optas! if it please Heaven, si diis (or Deo) placet: si Deus annuit nutum numenque suum (after Liv., 7, 30, extr.): Heaven be praised! diis (or Deo) gratia! for heaven’s sake (with prayers, adjurations), per Deum (per deos); e.g., oro te per deos: heavens! (as an exclamation of wonder and excited feeling) proh Juppiter! maxime Juppiter! (Vid: Heindorf. Hor., Sat., 1, 2, 17); per deos immortales; proh deum fidem! proh deum atque hominum fidem! A chart of the heavens, tabula, in qua solis et lunae reliquarumque stellarum motus insunt (afterCicero, Rep., 1, 14, 22).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for heaven, the heavens?: The usual Latin words for “heaven, the heavens” are caelum, deus, Olympus; also sublīmis, ferō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.