loved one

American  

noun

1. a close or cherished relation.

   to mourn the loss of our loved ones.

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Etymology

Origin of loved one

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

However, there are many families in Ranya like Shwana's, who are left mourning a lost loved one, and there is some evidence that people are becoming more willing to speak out against the smuggling trade.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Clark noted that her agency’s website offers a number of guidelines, whether your loved one will be at a hospice facility or receive care at home, as the vast majority of hospice patients do.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

Their reunion is surreal because it’s predicated on their mutual ability to admit fault, something that few of us have the opportunity to do after we walk away from a loved one scorned.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

Grieving often prompts frantic spelunking missions—rereading old letters or texts, scouring your camera roll and random social media accounts for any scrap of a memory of your loved one.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

The kindest of my many stops along the way, she gave me the gift of certainty that my parents had loved one another.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Related Words

• lover
• passion