Raphael

American  

[raf-ee-uhl, rey-fee-, rah-fahy-el] / ˈræf i əl, ˈreɪ fi-, ˌrɑ faɪˈɛl /

noun

1. Raffaello Santi or Sanzio, 1483–1520, Italian painter.

2. one of the archangels.

3. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “healing of the Lord.”

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Raphael British  

/ ˈræfeɪəl /

noun

1. Bible one of the archangels; the angel of healing and the guardian of Tobias (Tobit 3:17; 5–12). Feast day: Sept 29

2. original name Raffaello Santi or Sanzio . 1483–1520, Italian painter and architect, regarded as one of the greatest artists of the High Renaissance. His many paintings include the Sistine Madonna (?1513) and the Transfiguration (unfinished, 1520)

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Raphael Cultural  

1. A sixteenth-century Italian painter. A contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, he is known for his beautiful and gracious Madonnas and The School of Athens (see Plato's Academy).

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Other Word Forms

• Raphaelesque adjective

Example Sentences

Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe, Ivorian Cheick Tiote and Ghana's Raphael Dwamena are among the most high-profile names to pass away in similar circumstances.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Due out May 1, it features contributions from R&B pioneer Raphael Saadiq, pop star Khalid, rapper Vic Mensa and more.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and now Raphael: New York's prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art is dedicating a retrospective to the third of the great masters of the Italian Renaissance.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Kenyan police are investigating the reported disappearance of former Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju, amid claims he may have been abducted.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Raphael probably would have painted out the freckles, and that would have been a mistake.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg