affectionate
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of affectionate
First recorded in 1485–95; affection 1 + -ate 1, on the model of passionate
Explanation
Being affectionate is being warm, tender, and loving. A hug is an affectionate gesture. Affectionate words and actions show love, liking, or compassion. Kissing on the cheek, holding hands, and hugging are all affectionate. Parents and children, teachers and students, brothers and sisters — they can all be affectionate to each other. It's hard to fake being affectionate, so we tend to be affectionate to people we genuinely like.
Vocabulary lists containing affectionate
Positive Adjectives to Describe People
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Positive Words to Describe People, List 1
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Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He sent his new wife pressed flowers and affectionate messages, signing off: "Your own true hubby & loving sweetheart. Willie."
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
Known widely by the affectionate name, 47-year-old Tetiana Vyshniak is the driving force of a movement urging for the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026
Based partly on Flynn and executive produced by Mel Brooks, it’s an affectionate portrait of an over-the-hill rogue told from the point of view of a young Jewish comedy writer who idolizes him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
“The Madness Pill” is a vivid and affectionate tribute to a brilliant scientist, though, the author writes, one who “is almost unknown outside of scientific circles.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
He was greeted with affectionate laughter and applause, and was prodded to rise to his hind feet and give something like a bow to acknowledge his public.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
