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
His angel wings are visible on his back and a voiceover finds the star explaining his role as a guide who wants to help people in their lives.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Pictures will use the investment to expand its development, while its current angel investors Rosegown will exit the business.
—Lexi Carson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
Above the monitor that showed this procession of carnage hung the flag with the angel of death playing his flute.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Fortune als reports she was connected with several angel investors through the firm Slauson & Co, who also invested in the company.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
Tera Ventures led the round and was joined by Specialist VC, Tiny VC, and angel investors.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
Ollie has a red leather jacket with gold angel wings that spread from the shoulders down to his arms.
—Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024
Four small porcelain angels and a bracelet were also in the bag.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 24 Mar. 2024
The round was led by RTP Global, with participation from Picus Capital and a number of angel investors.
—David Prosser, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Pictures will use the investment to expand its development, while its current angel investors Rosegown will exit the business.
—Lexi Carson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
Above the monitor that showed this procession of carnage hung the flag with the angel of death playing his flute.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Fortune als reports she was connected with several angel investors through the firm Slauson & Co, who also invested in the company.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
Tera Ventures led the round and was joined by Specialist VC, Tiny VC, and angel investors.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
Ollie has a red leather jacket with gold angel wings that spread from the shoulders down to his arms.
—Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024
Four small porcelain angels and a bracelet were also in the bag.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 24 Mar. 2024
The round was led by RTP Global, with participation from Picus Capital and a number of angel investors.
—David Prosser, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'angel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Angel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angel. Accessed 19 Apr. 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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