# angel

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈeɪn.d͡ʒl̩/ · frequency rank #3,277

## Definitions
1. An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes.
2. An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes.
3. A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels.
4. A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels.
5. A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels.
6. Attendant spirit; genius; demon.
7. An official (a bishop, or sometimes a minister) who heads a Christian church, especially a Catholic Apostolic Church.
8. An English gold coin, bearing the figure of the archangel Michael, circulated between the 15th and 17th centuries, and varying in value from six shillings and eightpence to ten shillings.
9. An altitude, measured in thousands of feet.
10. An unidentified flying object detected by air traffic control radar.
11. someone that funds
12. someone that funds

## Etymology
Two Baroque angels from southern Germany, from the mid-18th century
From Middle English aungel, angel, from Old English anġel, either a modification of enġel after its etymon Latin angelus (through the intermediate of Proto-West Germanic *angil) or a reborrowing from the Latin, which is in turn from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos, “messenger”); later reinforced by Anglo-Norman angele, angel, from the same Latin source. The religious sense of the Greek word first appeared in the Septuagint as a translation of the Hebrew word מַלְאָךְ (malʾāḵ, “messenger”) or מַלְאָךְ יהוה (malʾāḵ YHWH, “messenger of YHWH”). Doublet of Angelus.
Use of the term in some churches to refer to a church official derives from interpreting the "angels" of the Seven churches of Asia in Revelation as being bishops or ministers rather than angelic beings.

## Easily confused with
- **Anne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-anne)
- **ante** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-ante)
- **axel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-axel)
- **anil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-anil)
- **angry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angry)
- **anger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-anger)
- **angle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angle)
- **anglo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-anglo)
- **Angus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angus)
- **Ariel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-ariel)
- **annex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-annex)
- **Angie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angie)
- **angst** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angst)
- **anvil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-anvil)
- **auger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-auger)
- **angels** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angels)
- **Angela** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angela)
- **Angelo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angelo)
- **Angola** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angola)
- **angled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/angel-vs-angled)

## Common misspellings (5)
`agnel`, `anegl`, `anggel`, `anngel`, `nagel`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/angel