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
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
“We affectionately nicknamed ourselves the ‘Bird Nerds,’ and our classroom became a place where we watched the live feeds, shared excitement, asked questions and learned together.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 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
“It was also a plan that we did not approve of or agree to,” Amah said, shaking her head at them, even though she could not help smiling affectionately.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
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.
