Theology. a chief or principal angel; in medieval angelology one of the nine orders of celestial attendants on God.
Russian Arkhangelsk. a seaport in the northwestern Russian Federation in Europe, on Dvina Bay.
Gulf of Archangel, former name of Dvina Bay.
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
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
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In an Instagram video the day before, she had worn a red and silver pendant of the archangel Michael, his wings spread out in triumph, a shield in one hand and a sword in another.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2024
The images were a well-known 14th-century painting of Muhammad and the archangel Gabriel by Persian scholar Rashid al-Din, and a 16th-century Ottoman Turkish illustration by Mustafa ibn Vali.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 9, 2023
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
Dressed in a coat tailored from lacquered gold feathers, she’s like a Renaissance archangel fearsome in her gilded glory.
From New York Times ● Nov. 4, 2021
For the next half-century, the concerto reigned supreme, and its godfather, or archangel perhaps, was composer-violinist Arcangelo Corelli.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Instead of depicting the Archangel Gabriel visibly, he only suggested his presence.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
The Archangel Michael is the patron saint of police officers, so I wanted to ask Jurado if her pendant was a sly dig at her antagonists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2024
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
In 2014, Iomax offered the Archangel to the Philippines as a replacement for its aging counterinsurgency force.
From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2022
“Who’s Dad? Archangel Gabriel? And hair like a river of light, huh?”
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
“There’s something about these Spanish archangels with weapons,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
By the late 17th century, paintings of musket-wielding archangels were popular in the borderlands of modern Bolivia and Peru.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
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
Her two mookees will go up against 74 nearly identical birds, and her seven archangels must outdazzle more than 40 others.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 22, 2019
The damp grass along the edges of the paths was dotted with spikes of mauve bugle, and the sanicles and yellow archangels flowered thickly.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
