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.
I pulled Jurado aside for a quick interview and immediately asked about the archangel Michael pendant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 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
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
In 1961 she published her first book, “Guia-mapa de Gabriel Arcanjo,” a novel mimicking an extended dialogue between an archangel and a woman who wants to live outside the Christian faith.
From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 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
Instead of depicting the Archangel Gabriel visibly, he only suggested his presence.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
He also said he was Michael the Angel of Death, referencing the Archangel Michael, who is tasked with escorting souls to the afterlife, prosecutors said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2025
“That’s it — to unite,” said the Rev. Elvis González, pastor at St. Michael the Archangel, a historically Cuban church that welcomes faithful from across Central America.
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
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
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 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.
