1
a(1)
: strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties
maternal love for a child
… share their love and support for one another …—
Angel Saunders
Angel Saunders
(2)
: attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers
people searching for love
… asking couples to share videos capturing the essence of love and romance …—Selena Kuznikov
—often used before another nounSelena Kuznikova love poem/song
(3)
: affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests
her love for her best friend
The coach earned the love and respect of his team.
b
: an assurance of affection
give her my love
Animal lovers … responded …, sending love and donations to the rescue canine.—Kelli Bender
Kelli Bender2
: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion
their love of the sea
… bet big on the public's love of women's sports.—Rebecca Schneid
Rebecca Schneid3
a
: the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration
Baseball was his first love.
b(1)
: a beloved person : darling
his lady love
… a music video … which shows the artist spending a day alone, enjoying her own company while thinking about her love.—Sigal Ratner-Arias
—often used as a term of endearment
Sigal Ratner-Arias
(2)
British
—used as an informal term of address
… greeting her neighbours with a cheery cry of 'Hiya, love'.—James Walton
James Walton4
a
: unselfish loyal and benevolent (see benevolent sense 1a) concern for the good of another: such as
(1)
: the concern of God for humankind
divine love
… he saw the whole world forming one vast symmetrical expression of God's power and love.—James Joyce
James Joyce
(2)
: empathy, concern, or care for others
brotherly love
b
: a person's adoration of God
5
: a god (such as Cupid or Eros) or personification of love
6
: an amorous episode : love affair
their secret love
7
: sexual intercourse : copulation
making love
conjugal love
8
: a score of zero (as in tennis)
Word Icons
Examples of love in a Sentence
… Eddie sees Vince's pure love of pool, and after years of thinking of the game as merely a hustle, the older man suddenly falls back in love with the game himself.
—Maureen Dowd, New York Times Magazine, 28 Sept. 1986
Aunt Polly knelt down and prayed for Tom so touchingly, so appealingly, and with such measureless love in her words and her old trembling voice, that he was weltering in tears again, long before she was through.
—Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, 1876
Allworthy thus answered: " … I have always thought love the only foundation of happiness in a married state, as it can only produce that high and tender friendship which should always be the cement of this union … "
—Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749
Children need unconditional love from their parents.
He was just a lonely man looking for love.
Maureen Dowd, New York Times Magazine, 28 Sept. 1986
Aunt Polly knelt down and prayed for Tom so touchingly, so appealingly, and with such measureless love in her words and her old trembling voice, that he was weltering in tears again, long before she was through.
—Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, 1876
Allworthy thus answered: " … I have always thought love the only foundation of happiness in a married state, as it can only produce that high and tender friendship which should always be the cement of this union … "
—Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749
Children need unconditional love from their parents.
He was just a lonely man looking for love.
Recent Examples on the Web
More and more artists discover it for the first time and fall in love with it each year.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
The two fall in love, and begin to develop a new skincare cream together called Noori, using Matthew’s mushrooms and Ye-jin’s gift as a saleswoman.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 29 May 2026
This silicone- and sulfate-free hair mask is love at first wash.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, Glamour, 29 May 2026
The hope is sparking children’s love for reading through nonfiction and quick lit (also known as early chapter books).
—Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for love
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
The two fall in love, and begin to develop a new skincare cream together called Noori, using Matthew’s mushrooms and Ye-jin’s gift as a saleswoman.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 29 May 2026
This silicone- and sulfate-free hair mask is love at first wash.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, Glamour, 29 May 2026
The hope is sparking children’s love for reading through nonfiction and quick lit (also known as early chapter books).
—Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for love
Cite this Entry
“Love.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
love
1 of 2 noun1
: a quality or feeling of strong or constant affection for and dedication to another
motherly love
2
a
: attraction based on sexual desire : the strong affection and tenderness felt by lovers
b
: a beloved person : darling
3
a
: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion
love of the sea
b
: the object of attachment or devotion
4
: a score of zero in tennis
love
2 of 2 verb
loved; loving
1
: to hold dear : cherish
2
a
: to feel a lover's passion, devotion, or tenderness for
b
: to touch or stroke lightly
3
: to like or desire actively : take pleasure in
loved to play the violin
4
: to grow well in
the rose loves sunlight
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
