beloved

[bih-luhv-id, -luhvd]

adjective

1. greatly loved; dear to the heart.

   Synonyms: darling, sweet, precious

noun

1. a person who is greatly loved.

beloved

/ bɪˈlʌvɪd, -ˈlʌvd /

adjective

1. dearly loved

noun

1. a person who is dearly loved, such as a wife or husband

Other Word Forms

• prebeloved adjective
• superbeloved adjective
• unbeloved adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of beloved¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English biloved “loved,” past participle of biloven “to like, love”; equivalent to be- + love + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Maybe it’s nostalgia — maybe it’s trendy aesthetics — or perhaps just old-school marketing, but restaurants across the country are bringing back the beloved matchbook.

Read more on Salon

But while Walker-Silverman couldn’t have imagined his movie’s jarring real-world parallels, “Rebuilding” is as much a character study as it is a warning about our increasingly fragile planet and the beloved places we call home.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It even forced Germany to abandon its beloved debt brake.

Read more on Barron's

“With more space, we can tell the story of ‘Wicked’ as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise journeys for these beloved characters.”

Read more on Salon

It begins in a country parsonage, moves through social insecurity to final productive years in a cottage Austen shared with a beloved sister, mother and close friend.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• admired www.thesaurus.com
• cherished www.thesaurus.com
• dear 
• esteemed 
• favorite 
• hallowed 
• loved 
• popular 
• prized www.thesaurus.com
• respected www.thesaurus.com
• revered 
• treasured www.thesaurus.com
• venerated www.thesaurus.com
• well-liked