Silksong has given us a lot of clarity for a variety of lore topics, but one that still seems a bit vague to me is the distinction between Pale beings and Higher beings.
We know some things about Pale beings:
Although mortal, they have a seemingly infinite natural lifespan
Pale beings are a type of creature, not one species
A lot of Pale beings have some kind of supernatural abilities; though it isn't clear whether or not that is because they're Pale beings
They seem to have an innate drive/urge toward domination; although the Pale King cared for his subjects, he still ruled them as a god monarch and although Grand Mother Silk cared for her daughters, she could only express that through her dominance over them
But what then is a Higher being? Is it just a catch-all term for any god-like creature? The Hollow Knight Wiki seems to think so. My problem with this definiton is that it partially relies on developer input instead of in-game information. The White Lady for example is listed as a Higher being only due to a Reddit AMA answer.
I thought a definition——or at least something approaching one——of "Higher being" would be possible without out-of-game information due to the Dream Realm and its connection to Higher beings.
The Radiance has power over the Dream Realm obviously, and so does the Nightmare Heart, seeing as it split the Realm into two parts. Unn then is also a Higher being as she created the Mosskin though Dream. The Pale King would also be a Higher being as he was able to transport his palace into the Dream Realm. The Lifeblood creature found in the Abyss might be counted among them too, as distinctive blue dream particle can be seen in its domain.
However, the term "Higher being" is actually used rather sparingly throughout the two games. The Radiance (who probably everyone would accept as a Higher being without question) is only explicitly called a Higher being in the Reddit AMA, while Grand Mother Silk, a creature who doesn't display control over the Dream Realm is directly called a Higher Being by Hornet.
Alas, I'll have to accept the Wiki's definition.