affectionately
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of affectionately
Explanation
When you do something affectionately, you do it in a way that shows fondness and warm feelings toward someone. Patting your dog's head affectionately may earn you a tail wag. The adverb affectionately comes from the noun affection, which means "a gentle feeling of fondness or liking." Punching someone's shoulder affectionately will likely elicit a smile as opposed to a sneer, as it wasn't intended to hurt but rather to show friendship. The word affectionately evokes acts of kindness and warmth, like a loving smile, a gentle touch, or encouraging words — expressing genuine care for someone special in your life.
Vocabulary lists containing affectionately
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.
I learned that he’s a proud father of two boys and a girl, and two dogs named Nipsey and Scrap, whom he affectionately calls his “babies.”
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Ozzy, known affectionately - despite the title - as The Prince of Darkness, died on 22 July last year, less than three weeks after the band's farewell Back to the Beginning gig at Villa Park.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Even as he holds space for my husband, Eric affectionately fills his own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
London and Madrid have disputed control of Gibraltar since the tiny territory -- known affectionately as "The Rock" -- was ceded to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Kira scolded the little dog affectionately when he tried to use her cane as a plaything to chew.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
Definitions 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.
