Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Dearly loved: "Beloved" describes someone or something that is loved very much, cherished, or held in deep affection.

2. Noun:

   • A beloved person; a dear one: "Beloved" is used to refer to a person who is dearly loved, often as a term of endearment.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • She read a letter from her beloved grandmother. (The grandmother is dearly loved.)
  • This beloved family recipe has been passed down for generations. (The recipe is cherished and loved.)

• Noun:

  • He wrote a poem to his beloved. (He wrote a poem to the person he loves dearly.)
  • "Goodnight, my beloved," she whispered. (She is using "beloved" as a term of endearment for the person she loves.)

Advanced Usage

• "Beloved of/by [someone/group]": This structure emphasizes who holds the deep affection.
  • The teacher was beloved by all her students. (All the students loved the teacher dearly.)
  • He is a national hero, beloved of the people. (The people hold him in deep affection.)

Variants and Related Words

• Belove (verb, archaic): To love deeply. (This form is rarely used in modern English.)
• Belovèd (adjective/ noun, poetic): Sometimes written with an accent (è) to indicate the pronunciation with three syllables (/bɪˈlʌv.ɪd/), often used in poetry or formal contexts for emphasis.
  • "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach..." - Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, often addressed to her belovèd.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Cherished, adored, dear, precious, treasured.
• Noun: Darling, dear, sweetheart, love, dearest.

Related Phrases

• "Late beloved": A respectful way to refer to someone who was loved and has died.
  • We gather to honor the memory of our late beloved father.
• "Well-beloved": An older or more formal synonym meaning dearly loved.
  • The well-beloved king returned to his kingdom.

Notes on Usage

• "Beloved" as an adjective is typically used before a noun (e.g., ) or after linking verbs like "was" or "is" (e.g., ).
• As a noun, it is often used with a possessive pronoun (my, his, her, our, their) to directly address or refer to a loved one.
• The word carries a strong emotional weight, implying a deep, lasting, and often special love, stronger than simply "loved."

Adjective

1. dearly loved

Noun

1. a beloved person; used as terms of endearment