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.
Former Navatek employees say he was affectionately referred to as “Uncle Dan.”
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
They were part of a close group of friends at St Malachy's College, who Jay affectionately described to the inquest as "very nerdy kids".
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
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
Troops affectionately referred to the civilian logistics engineers supplying the beverages as “Coca-Cola colonels.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Contemplating the grand tour of Lawrence and Alvarez and the resurgent electioneering of Teller for the Super, Oppenheimer aired his doubts to Conant in a letter affectionately addressed to “Uncle Jim.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
