archangel
noun
a chief or principal angel; in medieval angelology one of the nine orders of celestial attendants on God.
archangel
1 American
[ahrk-ayn-juhl]
/ ˈɑrkˌeɪn dʒəl /
noun
-
archangels
plural
-
Theology. a chief or principal angel; in medieval angelology one of the nine orders of celestial attendants on God.
Archangel
2
American
[ahrk-ayn-juhl]
/ ˈɑrkˌeɪn dʒəl /
noun
-
Russian Arkhangelsk. a seaport in the northwestern Russian Federation in Europe, on Dvina Bay.
-
Gulf of Archangel, former name of Dvina Bay.
archangel
1
British
/ ˈɑːkˌeɪndʒəl /
noun
-
a principal angel, a member of the order ranking immediately above the angels in medieval angelology
-
another name for angelica
-
a Eurasian herbaceous plant ( Lamiastrum luteum ) that has yellow helmet-shaped flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)
-
a bronze-coloured breed of domestic pigeon with black markings
Archangel
2
British
/ ˈɑːkˌeɪndʒəl /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of archangel
before 1000; early Middle English arc ( h ) angel < Anglo-French, Old French arc ( h ) ang ( e ) le < Late Latin archangelus < Greek archángelos; replacing Old English hēahengel; see high, arch- 1, angel
Explanation
In religious writing, an archangel is the most important angel of all, sometimes described as ranking above the regular angels. You'll come across the noun archangel if you're reading Christian, Judaic, or Islamic religious texts. In the Christian Bible, the word archangel is only used twice, once generally and once to refer to Michael, although there are many other figures in Christianity considered to be archangels. The Greek root word, arkhangelos, is made up of arkh, "first or chief," and angelos, "angel."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He encounters criminals, a spell-casting witch and his opponent from the heavenly spheres, an archangel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Then, the Eastside’s aspiring archangel flew off to her night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2024
Such a move isn't entirely unprecedented, after all; wasn't it thrilling to see Tilda Swinton swooped in at the end of 2005's "Constantine" as the archangel Gabriel?
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2022
Beatific and terrifying as an archangel, Collin is giving one of the best performances on television right now; she’s TV’s greatest radical mom since Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings on “The Americans.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 17, 2022
Five of the pictures showcased the prize-winning Maine coons she’d raised over the years, most way before I was born, all male and each named after an archangel.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
For decades the firm formerly known as Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer used a logo combining a religious icon of the Archangel Michael and its name in elegant serif.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Instead of depicting the Archangel Gabriel visibly, he only suggested his presence.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
“In reports from the field we have one piece of information, and then another,” one blogger, who goes by the name Special Forces Archangel, wrote about the fighting near Velyka Novosilka.
From New York Times ● Jun. 13, 2023
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, a few miles away, put together a migration forum with Catholic Legal Services in mid-February.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2023
“Who’s Dad? Archangel Gabriel? And hair like a river of light, huh?”
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
The large scarlet wings on the ballet’s two leading women—Sara Mearns, often coupled with Stanley, and Isabella LaFreniere, mostly opposite Mr. Tomash—resemble those of archangels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025
Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name; evermore praising thee, and saying,
From BBC ● May 5, 2023
With a fanciful, skillfully written score, the piece presents a beguiling present-day story of a group of hapless archangels having trouble recruiting a young woman to bear God in human form.
From New York Times ● Aug. 19, 2022
More crassly, the archangels promised to give the women the “lost measurements” to finding oil and gold deposits across the world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2022
The children are regular archangels, and I—well, I’m Jo, and never shall be anything else.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
