affectionate

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adjective af·fec·tion·ate \ ə-ˈfek-sh(ə-)nət \

Definition of affectionate

1 :feeling or showing affection or warm regard :loving

affectionate friends

an affectionate nickname

2 :motivated by affection :tender

affectionate care

3 obsolete :inclined, disposed

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affectionately

adverb

See affectionate defined for English-language learners

See affectionate defined for kids

Examples of affectionate in a Sentence

an affectionate child who gives hugs and kisses freely

Recent Examples of affectionate from the Web

And now that affectionate tease has become a reality.

— holly v. hays, Indianapolis Star, "Would you get married in front of 24,000 people? This Carmel couple did.," 26 Aug. 2017
Both were quite affectionate with the pup, patting him and petting him.

— georgea kovanis, Detroit Free Press, "9 things I learned working out with Kate Upton and a bunch of Marines," 23 Aug. 2017
This reunion is affectionate but awkward, and crowded with tiny miscommunications, such as Sansa not taking Arya’s kill list seriously.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones," 6 Aug. 2017
This reunion is affectionate but awkward, and crowded with tiny miscommunications, such as Sansa not taking Arya’s kill list seriously.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "How Game of Thrones Nailed Its Most Important Reunion Yet," 6 Aug. 2017
Mary Staten didn't show much emotion and wasn't an affectionate woman.

— kristina goetz, The Courier-Journal, "Orphans come back to ‘The Home’ that took them in when no one else could," 20 July 2017
For the most part, the staff seem to take a quaint, affectionate view of their hedonistic visitors.

— davy rothbart, GQ, "Inside the Clothing-Optional Resort of Your Swinging Dreams," 18 July 2017
FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME PRINT COMMENTS Jennifer M. Kroot's affectionate portrait traces the author's evolution from proud son of Southern conservatives to chronicler of alternative San Francisco through the 1970s and '80s.

— david rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin': Film Review | Provincetown 2017," 24 June 2017
FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME PRINT COMMENTS Jennifer M. Kroot's affectionate portrait traces the author's evolution from proud son of Southern conservatives to chronicler of alternative San Francisco through the 1970s and '80s.

— david rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin': Film Review | Provincetown 2017," 24 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'affectionate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.