angel

noun

an·​gel ˈān-jəl How to pronounce angel (audio)
plural angels
1
a
religion : a spiritual being serving as a divine messenger and intermediary and often as a special protector of an individual or nation
especially : one in the lowest rank in the celestial hierarchy see also guardian angel
b
angels plural, religion : an order of angels see celestial hierarchy
c(1)
: an attendant usually benevolent spirit or guardian
often used without implication of belief in its supernatural character
"A putting angel must have come to me during the night because I felt great today and every putt I hit was a great putt," he [Paul McGinley] said.Nelson Clare
(2)
: the part of a person's character or nature that is said to guide the person's thoughts and behavior
… here was [Lyndon] Johnson charging straight at a problem, telling his fellow citizens an ugly truth about themselves while trying to invoke the better angels of their nature.Kevin Baker
[Lamar] Alexander concluded: "In his first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln appealed to the better angels of our nature. If there are better angels of our nature, I guess that means there must be worse angels in us as well. …"Congressional Documents and Publications
2
: a usually white-robed winged figure of human form in fine art see also snow angel
3
: messenger, harbinger
an angel of death
The dear good angel of the Spring, / The nightingale.Ben Jonson
4
: a person who is like an angel (as in looks or behavior)
Your toddler is such an angel.
Be an angel and get me a cup of tea, would you?
Childs is no angel either, and that gives his book its drama.George Johnson
5
Christian Science : inspiration from God
6
: one who aids or supports with money or influence
Angels are considered one of the oldest sources of capital for start-up entrepreneurs; the term itself, by most accounts, comes from the affluent patrons who used to finance Broadway plays in the early twentieth century.Colleen Debaise
Typically, angel investors put up anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 to back a young start-up, and can fund as many as 10 companies at any given time.Michael B. Farrell
7

Examples of angel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Klimt’s mysticism is a kind of busy stagecraft, all confetti cannons and angels dangling from ropes. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 His alter ego closes the trunk and sits in the front seat to drive away — and the dark angel appears by his side. Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 That last aspect shouldn’t surprise anyone who saw Glass’s debut feature film, Saint Maud, which plunged the viewer into the mind of a home nurse plagued by biblical visions of angels and demons. David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 The tiny slug is a blue glaucus, but it's also known as a sea swallow, blue angel and, of course, blue dragon. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 In Kentucky, about three to five percent of the whiskey is lost to the angels every year, so a 10-year-old barrel could only have about 50 percent of the liquid left that originally went into it. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 The sublimity of the Creation story, the strangeness of Jacob wrestling with an angel (or maybe God himself), Abraham’s fearful vision of darkness — all of these are here, but briefly, sideshows to her main focus, which is on Genesis as a close-up account of one human clan. Francis Spufford, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 It’s said the angel Gabriel appeared to him in A.D. 610, giving Muhammad the Islamic holy book. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Will angels or crowdfunding or other forms of investments start to pop up due to these additional challenges? Zoya Hasan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'angel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English engel & Anglo-French angele; both from Late Latin angelus, from Greek angelos, literally, messenger

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of angel was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near angel

Cite this Entry

“Angel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angel. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

angel

noun
an·​gel ˈān-jəl How to pronounce angel (audio)
1
: a spiritual being serving God especially as a messenger or as a guardian of human beings
2
: messenger, harbinger
angel of death
3
: a person as pure, lovely, or good as an angel
angelic adjective
or angelical
angelically adverb
Etymology

Middle English angel "spiritual being," from Old English engel and early French angele (both, same meaning), derived from Greek angelos "messenger"

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