one of a class of spiritual beings; a celestial attendant of God. In medieval angelology, angels constituted the lowest of the nine celestial orders (seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominations or dominions, virtues, powers, principalities or princedoms, archangels, and angels).
a conventional representation of such a being, in human form, with wings, usually in white robes.
a messenger, especially of God.
a person who performs a mission of God or acts as if sent by God.
an angel of mercy.
a person having qualities generally attributed to an angel, as beauty, purity, or kindliness.
a person whose actions and thoughts are consistently virtuous.
an attendant or guardian spirit.
a deceased person whose soul is regarded as having been accepted into heaven.
a person who provides financial backing for some undertaking, as a play, political campaign, or business venture.
A group of angels entered the mix, providing George the leverage he needed to take the startup company in a new direction.
Angels seek deals that they can exit in less than a decade.
an English gold coin issued from 1470 to 1634, varying in value from 6s. 8d. to 10s. and bearing on its obverse a figure of the archangel Michael killing a dragon.
Slang. an image on a radar screen caused by a low-flying object, as a bird.
theol one of a class of spiritual beings attendant upon God. In medieval angelology they are divided by rank into nine orders: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominations (or dominions), virtues, powers, principalities (or princedoms), archangels, and angels
a divine messenger from God
a guardian spirit
a conventional representation of any of these beings, depicted in human form with wings
informal a person, esp a woman, who is kind, pure, or beautiful
informal an investor in a venture, esp a backer of a theatrical production
Also called: angel-noble. a former English gold coin with a representation of the archangel Michael on it, first minted in Edward IV's reign
informal an unexplained signal on a radar screen
Spelling tips for angel The word angel is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it is very close in spelling to angle, as in the space between two lines that meet at a point. Second, the beginning sound [ eyn ] is not spelled the way it sounds. How to spell angel: The first letter of angel is a, not e, because Angels are Amazing. The way to remember that angel ends in an l is that both devil and angel are celestial beings, and they both end in l. Similarly, angle and line are both mathematics terms, and they both end in e.
First recorded before 950; 1890–95 angel for def. 9; Middle English a(u)ngel, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Late Latin angelus, from New Testament Greek ángelos “messenger of God,” special use of Greek ángelos “messenger” (to translate Hebrew mal'ākh ), of disputed origin, frequently connected to ángaros “Persian mounted courier,” suggesting derivation from an uncertain source possibly akin to Akkadian agâru “to hire” or egertu “letter,” Persian angareh “journal, narrative,” or Sanskrit ajira “swift”; replacing Old English engel, from Latin, as above
An angel is a messenger of God, characterized as having human form with wings and a halo. The word suggests goodness, and is often used to refer to someone who offers comfort and aid to others in times of trouble. As a child, you looked like an innocent angel; appearances can be deceiving. The word angel derives from the Greek angelos, meaning "messenger." It is used in the Bible to denote God's attendants, with angels often depicted as being guardians of humans, an idea found in ancient Asian cultures as well. The Biblical sense was continued in a medieval gold coin called an angel, which depicted the archangel Michael. The word has been applied to angel fish, so named because they appear to have wings, and nurses, often called "angels of mercy."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Carly Newhouse is a licensed clinical social worker, health-tech consultant, writer and angel investor.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Miley Cyrus paid tribute to her godmother Dolly Parton this week describing her as an "angel by my side"
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Parton plays an angel tasked with changing the mind and heart of a wealthy woman set on selling her humble hometown to a mall developer.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Singer and songwriter Brandi Carlile called Parton “an angel on my shoulder and also the devil on my other shoulder.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
But instead of arms, Max has drawn Helena and me with angel wings, spreading from one end of the paper to the other, and under our wings are thirteen faces.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
Celebrating 50 years, Charlie's Angels stars Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd and Jaclyn Smith, handed out the Emmy for best drama and paid tribute to their fellow Angel.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
It brought in $6.4 million domestically for Angel Studios.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Actor and playwright Ellen McLaughlin, who originated the role of the Angel in Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America,” has put her own modern spin on ancient Greek dramas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Two other early investors also hit a home run: A.Capital Ventures and SV Angel, firms run by brothers Ronny and Topher Conway, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
“Isaiah, let’s respect Angel and let her finish,” Ms. Marlee says.
From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist
“If there are truly angels on Earth, then we just lost one: Dolly Parton,” Field said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
"There are going to be some fabulously dressed angels," Pink wrote in a tribute to Bob Mackie.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
The author of the novel “Cloud Six” on conversations with angels, sojourns in limbo and one memorable journey to the world of the damned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Even if one is coming, “of that day and that hour knoweth no man,” not even “the angels which are in heaven.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
In Iran, when a guest comes, you tell them they may be angels, they are welcome and the whole house is filled with the joy of their presence.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Through his second largest philanthropy, the General Education Board, he angeled Progressive Education.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
