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.
"They built a large four-poster bed in this room and bring in their own furniture and props, in this case a large statue of the archangel," he added.
From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2025
I pulled Jurado aside for a quick interview and immediately asked about the archangel Michael pendant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2024
It clothes the statue of the archangel Gabriel atop the bell tower on St. Mark’s Square and glistens in the mosaics on the facade of St. Mark’s Basilica, aptly nicknamed “the Golden Church.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
For, in case you missed it, a peal of what may or may not have been the archangel Gabriel’s horn cut through the noise a few days ago signaling, ominous, that it’s time.
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2023
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
David Milarch, founder of the Michigan-based Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, which has supplied PropagationNation with redwoods and sequoias, says his trees aren’t intended to replace Pacific Northwest native species.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 30, 2023
“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. Alphonsus Liguori: St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of law enforcement, is depicted in Catholic art as slaying Satan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2022
“Who’s Dad? Archangel Gabriel? And hair like a river of light, huh?”
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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
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
May Otis Blackburn was a 60-year-old clairvoyant when the archangels Michael and Gabriel appeared to her and her daughter Ruth, the “girl of many loves,” as the press delighted in calling her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2022
It was such a thrill to be one of the archangels, the avengers, the chosen few.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
