Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having or showing fond feelings or affection; loving and tender.
  • adjective Obsolete Inclined or disposed.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having great love or affection; warmly attached; fond; kind; loving: as, an affectionate brother.
  • Devoted in feeling; zealous.
  • Characterized by or manifesting affection; possessing or indicating love; tender; warm-hearted: as, the affectionate care of a parent.
  • Strongly disposed or inclined: with to.
  • Biased; partizan.
  • To affect; be affected, inclined, or disposed.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having affection or warm regard; loving; fond.
  • adjective obsolete Kindly inclined; zealous.
  • adjective Proceeding from affection; indicating love; tender
  • adjective obsolete Strongly inclined; -- with to.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective of a person Having affection or warm regard; loving; fond.
  • adjective of an action, etc. Characterised by or proceeding from affection; indicating love; tender.
  • verb rare To show affection to; to have affection for.
  • verb obsolete, reflexive To emotionally attach (oneself) to.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having or displaying warmth or affection

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Partly from Latin affectionatus, partly from affection + -ate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Either from the adjective, or from affection + -ate (modelled on Middle French affectionner).

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word affectionate.

Examples

  • "Half the trouble is the stupidity of the whites," said Roberts, pausing to take a swig from his glass and to curse the Samoan bar-boy in affectionate terms.

    THE INEVITABLE WHITE MAN 2010

  • First Impression: Daphne is described as an affectionate and nonjudgmental confidante who has tall, model-like looks and lots of patience.

    5-Star Baby Name Advisor Bruce Lansky 2008

  • First Impression: Daphne is described as an affectionate and nonjudgmental confidante who has tall, model-like looks and lots of patience.

    5-Star Baby Name Advisor Bruce Lansky 2008

  • A comparison with Jane Austen's early work springs to mind, because Austen began her literary career at much the same age nearly a century earlier, with Love and Freindship [sic] and other exercises in affectionate parody.

    Wharton's Sharp Eye 2001

  • A comparison with Jane Austen's early work springs to mind, because Austen began her literary career at much the same age nearly a century earlier, with Love and Freindship [sic] and other exercises in affectionate parody.

    Wharton's Sharp Eye 2001

  • The long-term affectionate supportive bonds that develop throughout this long childhood with the mother, with the brothers and sisters, and which can last through a lifetime, which may be up to 60 years.

    Jane Goodall on what separates us from the apes Jane Goodall 2002

  • The long-term affectionate supportive bonds that develop throughout this long childhood with the mother, with the brothers and sisters, and which can last through a lifetime, which may be up to 60 years.

    Jane Goodall on what separates us from the apes Jane Goodall 2002

  • The long-term affectionate supportive bonds that develop throughout this long childhood with the mother, with the brothers and sisters, and which can last through a lifetime, which may be up to 60 years.

    Jane Goodall on what separates us from the apes Jane Goodall 2002

  • And in affectionate mischief he would stay the half-hour through before marshalling his flock back to "The Corner."

    Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910 Maud Howe Elliott 1915

  • "Half the trouble is the stupidity of the whites," said Roberts, pausing to take a swig from his glass and to curse the Samoan bar-boy in affectionate terms.

    The Inevitable White Man 1911

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • The proof of a poet is that his country absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorbed it. Whitman, Preface 1855

    December 9, 2006

  • That's quite a detailed picture, kaparual! :-)

    September 17, 2007