Gabriel

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A masculine given name derived from Hebrew meaning "God is my strength"; also refers to an archangel in religious texts known for delivering messages
2. A male personal name of biblical origin signifying "strength of God"; prominently recognized as an angelic figure who communicates divine revelations
3. A first name of Semitic roots meaning "God has given strength"; associated with a celestial messenger in various faith traditions who announces important divine news

Etymology: Gabriel means "God is my strength" (or "man of God"), and its parts are assembled from Hebrew. The name combines "gaber," meaning strong man or strength, with "el," meaning God, and a possessive ending that makes it personal: "my God." The Hebrew form, Gavri'el, appears in the Hebrew Bible, where it is the name of an angel who delivers messages to the prophet Daniel and to Mary. The name reached Europe through Greek and Latin. Greek writers rendered it as Gabrielos, and Latin adopted that form as Gabriel, carrying it into the medieval Christian world along with the angel's story. Through that tradition, the name spread across Europe and eventually into English. Its twin is Jibril, the Arabic form used in Islamic tradition for the same angel. The two names descend from the same Hebrew source, so they are doublets: one passed through Latin and Christian Europe, the other through Arabic.

Synonyms: archangel, messenger