loving
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of loving
First recorded before 1000; Middle English lovyng; replacing Middle English lovende, Old English lufiende; see love, -ing 2
Explanation
Someone loving is affectionate and caring. Your loving grandmother might be your favorite grandparent because she clearly adores you. You can be a loving sister or a loving babysitter, and you can also describe kind things you do as loving, like the loving hug you give your sad friend or your uncle's loving gesture of sending your aunt flowers on her birthday. The adjective loving comes from the Old English lufian, "to love or approve," from the root lufu, "love, affection, or friendliness."
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.
I wanted to dispel the idea that we are incapable of having loving, meaningful relationships.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
But the consequence would be a massive disruption of stable, loving families, as countless parents are told that they have no legal claim as parents to their own kids.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
Kate, as she is widely known, is looking forward to "seeing first-hand how the Reggio Emilia approach creates environments where nature and loving human relationships come together".
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Mark remembers his brother as an inspirational leader whose deep connection with his players mirrored his loving personality at home.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
With a weary, loving, unthinking movement that showed she had done this thousands of times before, Nokomis replaced the blankets.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
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.
