天使（英语：angel），本指上天的使者，在其它不少宗教中也有类似概念，并汉译为“天使”。

中华神话系统里的天使也可以理解为“天庭的使者”向下界传达谕命或作天子的使者。

如西游记第三回中节选： 金星领了旨，出南天门外，按下祥云，直至花果山水帘洞，对众小猴道：「我乃天差天使，有圣旨在此，请你大王上界。快快报知。」洞外小猴一层层传至洞天深处，道：「大王，外面有一老人，背着一角文书，言是上天差来的天使，有圣旨请你也。」美猴王听得大喜，道：「我这两日正思量要上天走走，却就有天使来请。」叫：「快请进来。」猴王急整衣冠，门外迎接。

An angel, especially according to Abrahamic religions and Zoroastrianism, is a spiritual being superior to humans in power and intelligence. Angels are typically described as benevolent, dreadful, and endowed with wisdom and knowledge of earthly events, but not infallible; for they strive with each other, and God has to make peace between them. Most of them serve either as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth, or as guardian spirits. They are studied in the theological doctrine of angelology. In Christian Science, the word "angel" is used to refer to an inspiration from God. The use of the term has extended to refer to artistic depictions of the beings, and it is also used figuratively to refer to messengers and harbingers, and to people who possess high qualities of goodness, purity, selflessness, intelligence, and/or beauty.