plural angels
1
a
religion
: a spiritual being serving as a divine messenger and intermediary and often as a special protector of an individual or nation
especially
: one in the lowest rank in the celestial hierarchy see also guardian angel
b
c(1)
: an attendant usually benevolent spirit or guardian
—often used without implication of belief in its supernatural character
"A putting angel must have come to me during the night because I felt great today and every putt I hit was a great putt," he [Paul McGinley] said.—
Nelson Clare
Nelson Clare
(2)
: the part of a person's character or nature that is said to guide the person's thoughts and behavior
… here was [Lyndon] Johnson charging straight at a problem, telling his fellow citizens an ugly truth about themselves while trying to invoke the better angels of their nature.—Kevin Baker
Kevin Baker[Lamar] Alexander concluded: "In his first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln appealed to the better angels of our nature. If there are better angels of our nature, I guess that means there must be worse angels in us as well. …"—Congressional Documents and Publications
Congressional Documents and Publications2
: a usually white-robed winged figure of human form in fine art see also snow angel
3
4
: a person who is like an angel (as in looks or behavior)
Your toddler is such an angel.
Be an angel and get me a cup of tea, would you?
Childs is no angel either, and that gives his book its drama.—George Johnson
George Johnson5
Christian Science
: inspiration from God
6
: one who aids or supports with money or influence
Angels are considered one of the oldest sources of capital for start-up entrepreneurs; the term itself, by most accounts, comes from the affluent patrons who used to finance Broadway plays in the early twentieth century.—Colleen Debaise
Colleen DebaiseTypically, angel investors put up anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 to back a young start-up, and can fund as many as 10 companies at any given time.—Michael B. Farrell
Michael B. Farrell7
Examples of angel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But at times, there’s a defensive, slightly cruel streak to his patter that can eclipse his better angels (of which there are many) and test the goodwill of those around him.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
The next batch of kids included a little angel who immediately burst into tears at the sight of Rodrigo.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
Bündchen walked in her first show as a Victoria’s Secret angel in 2000.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 29 Oct. 2024
Michael Sheen and David Tennant, who play the angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, respectively, will return for the one-off television movie, which will begin shooting in early 2025 in Scotland after pre-production was paused due to the allegations.
—Peter White, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
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Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
The next batch of kids included a little angel who immediately burst into tears at the sight of Rodrigo.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
Bündchen walked in her first show as a Victoria’s Secret angel in 2000.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 29 Oct. 2024
Michael Sheen and David Tennant, who play the angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, respectively, will return for the one-off television movie, which will begin shooting in early 2025 in Scotland after pre-production was paused due to the allegations.
—Peter White, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for angel
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Cite this Entry
“Angel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angel. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
angel
noun
an·gel
ˈān-jəl 
1
: a spiritual being serving God especially as a messenger or as a guardian of human beings
3
: a person as pure, lovely, or good as an angel
Etymology
Middle English angel "spiritual being," from Old English engel and early French angele (both, same meaning), derived from Greek angelos "messenger"
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