valentine
noun
a card or message, usually amatory or sentimental but sometimes satirical or comical, or a token or gift sent by one person to another on Valentine's Day, sometimes anonymously.
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valentine
1 American
[val-uhn-tahyn]
/ ˈvæl ənˌtaɪn /
noun
-
valentines
plural
-
a card or message, usually amatory or sentimental but sometimes satirical or comical, or a token or gift sent by one person to another on Valentine's Day, sometimes anonymously.
-
a sweetheart chosen or greeted on this day.
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a written or other artistic work, message, token, etc., expressing affection for something or someone.
His photographic essay is a valentine to Paris.
Valentine
2
American
[val-uhn-tahyn]
/ ˈvæl ənˌtaɪn /
noun
-
Saint, died a.d. c270, Christian martyr at Rome.
-
Also pope a.d. 827.
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a male given name: from a Latin word meaning “strong.”
valentine
1
British
/ ˈvælənˌtaɪn /
noun
-
a card or gift expressing love or affection, sent, often anonymously, to one's sweetheart or satirically to a friend, on Saint Valentine's Day
-
a sweetheart selected for such a greeting
Valentine
2
British
/ ˈvælənˌtaɪn /
noun
Usage
What is a valentine? A valentine is a card or gift given to someone for the occasion of Valentine’s Day, a holiday on February 14 that’s popularly observed as a day to celebrate love, especially by those in romantic relationships. Valentines are often intended as a declaration of love, but they can also be given as a gesture of friendship. Valentines are commonly exchanged by romantic partners, or given by someone who wants to show affection to or romantic interest in the recipient. But they can also be exchanged by family members and friends—children might make valentines for their parents and school students sometimes give valentines to all of their fellow classmates, for example. The classic version of a valentine is a card shaped like a heart, but they can come in many forms. Valentine messages can be serious or humorous or silly. The word valentine can also refer to the person to whom a valentine is given (or the person who gives it), or to a person’s date or romantic partner on Valentine’s Day. Asking someone to be your valentine typically conveys romantic interest—it most commonly means you want them to be your date for Valentine’s Day. However, this is not always the case. The term Valentine’s (or Valentines) is a short way of referring to Valentine’s Day, as in Do you have plans for Valentine’s yet?Valentine is also the name of a Christian saint whose feast day is observed on February 14. The name of Valentine’s Day can be traced back to this observance, though it may have also been influenced by another saint named Valentine. Example: I always send valentines anonymously—I just want to make people happy, without any obligation.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of valentine
1400–50; late Middle English, after the feast of Saint Valentine
Explanation
A valentine is a sweetheart: specifically, someone who receives a greeting or attention on Valentine's Day. There are many words for someone you like in a romantic way, such as sweetie, main squeeze, boyfriend, girlfriend, significant other, and special someone. Another is valentine, though you'll mainly hear this word on Valentine's Day: February 14. Asking "Will you be my valentine?" is like asking "Will you go out with me?" and saying "I like you." Sending a card is a common way to let someone know you want to be their valentine.
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:
Instead, a good 50% of the tracks retreat to safer ground - slowly strummed songs of devotion, packed with valentine card sentiments.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2025
“I love to be around people,” said Rios, who is in a relationship and believes others should also find their valentine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2025
Director Stephen Soucy’s valentine of a documentary “Merchant Ivory” recounts their remarkable partnership as well as individual moments in their lives and careers.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2024
The production design, like a montage of greeting cards come to life, celebrated valentine passion, anniversary tenderness and golden sympathy, releasing flocks of trained geese into a technicolor sunset to symbolize lifelong pair bonding.
From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2024
No matter what happened at the dance, I still had a valentine card to come home to.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Valentine, who was launch editor of the The Nine, said it was "always sad" to see programmes come to an end.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Valentine, like many in town, said the town liked having the Americans nearby and had never felt particularly threatened before by geopolitics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Clive Valentine, who built a traditional gristmill in Dandridge, in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, sees hope.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
GVI's website has been replaced with a statement from CEO Andrew Valentine, who said that closing its doors after 28 years is a "deeply sad conclusion to a remarkable journey".
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Valentine and I had to cross the bridge to the parking lot in front of the high school, but I don’t remember that either.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Feb. 14 was just a few days away, so the first action Rickman and other students took was delivering hundreds of valentines to the governor, expressing their support for university employees.
From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2025
In the far corner of the room, arts and crafts to make valentines were laid out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2025
These valentines were not of the handmade or heartfelt variety, but rather bought in bulk from CVS, from the red-cellophane aisle, on the shelf next to the seasonal Whitman’s Samplers and conversation hearts.
From New York Times ● Feb. 10, 2024
Hallmark, which began offering Valentine’s Day cards in 1913, estimates that today, 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, not including the kids’ valentines popular for classroom exchanges.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2023
He had us decorate little mailboxes for our Valentine’s Day party and then we exchanged valentines like we were in kindergarten.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
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