beloved
Americanadjective
noun
-
beloveds
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of beloved
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English biloved “loved,” past participle of biloven “to like, love”; equivalent to be- + love + -ed 2
Compare meaning
How does beloved compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Your beloved is someone you love. You can also talk about a beloved pet or possession. You probably have some things you really love: a bike, a skateboard, a book, a DVD, maybe a souvenir from a trip. Those are beloved possessions — you really like them a lot. People also talk about beloved family members, beloved pets, and beloved friends. This is a word for things and people you're crazy about. And if you're feeling really crazy on Valentine's Day, go ahead and tell your crush that she's your beloved.
Vocabulary lists containing beloved
Love Letter Words for Valentine's Day
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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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.
See Examples For:
Sir Ian McKellen has led tributes to Sir Patrick Stewart following his death at the age of 86, calling him "the most respected and beloved actor of his generation".
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
He quickly became a beloved addition to the school, credited with introducing delicious new menu items for students, Borges said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
It becomes harder for small-market teams to hang onto beloved young talent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Several months later, the affair took a bizarre turn after his beloved "Rasta Bambi", a doe he had lovingly raised on his farm in Mali, went missing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
Washington was asked by his beloved Virginia to take part in a convention charged with revising the Articles of Confederation, the first American constitution.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
But mostly, I now truly dress for myself and my beloveds, who all want me to be comfortable and have a good time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2024
“The biggest gift by far of these two movies for me is just the friendships with these beloveds in my life,” Steenburgen said.
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2023
Fittingly, Pru, who’d long felt ashamed for lacking a defining passion, will demonstrate consummate passion in her nonstop exertions to care for beloveds and, never least, to survive.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 20, 2021
All those beloveds Sneed names who withered, went blind or “disappeared like thousands of bits of paper,” friends who were her family as well as her education.
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2020
"The hours she spent trying to fix her beloveds stretched into eternity after eternity, until..."
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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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.
