The Meaning of Beloved: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of beloved? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word beloved, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word beloved mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary, the word beloved is an adjective that refers to something that is dearly loved and cherished. The word beloved refers to great affection from a lover, and can be used in many contexts, including a beloved wife, beloved daughter, beloved husband, and even beloved dogs, beloved buildings, or a beloved sci-fi TV series like Star Trek. Bellowed is three syllables – be-lov-ed, and the pronunciation of beloved is bɪ-luv-ɪd.

According to Bible Study Tools, the word beloved (adj.) is used often in the New Testament to describe Divine and Christian love from Jesus. This word is used in the Song of Solomon, Deuteronomy, Corinthians, Matthew, Jeremiah, and Luke, amongst others. Definitions states that Beloved is also a novel by Toni Morrison. The story follows Sethe, who was inspired by the story of an African-American slave, Margaret Garner, who after the Civil War temporarily escaped slavery during 1856 in Kentucky by fleeing to Ohio. However, she was then persecuted under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 by which slave owners were given the right to pursue slaves across state borders. Sethe kills her two-year-old daughter and tries to kill her other three children when they are captured to try and return them to Sweet Home, the plantation in Kentucky from which Sethe recently fled. The ghost of her daughter returns to haunt her home at 124 Bluestone Road in Cincinnati. 

There are many different languages that also use words that mean beloved. You may notice in the below list of translations of beloved from Word Sense that some words look similar to the word beloved. These are called cognates, which are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. Cognates are words that look and sound similar, and also mean something similar across languages. Learning translations is very useful if you are going to be traveling abroad or communicating with someone who does not speak English.

  •  Latin: cārus‎
  •  Japanese: 最愛‎ (さいあい, saiai), 愛しい‎ (いとしい, itoshii), 恋しい‎ (こいしい, koishii), 親愛‎
  •  Portuguese: amado‎
  •  Finnish: rakastettu‎, rakas‎
  •  Esperanto: amata‎
  •  Romanian: iubit‎ (masc.), iubită‎ (fem.)
  •  Faliscan: caro‎
  •  French: bien-aimé‎, chéri‎
  •  Irish: maoineach‎
  •  Latvian: mīļots‎ (masc.), mīļota‎ (fem.)
  •  Swedish: älskade‎
  •  Arabic: مَحْبُوب‎ (masc.), مَحْبُوبَة‎ (fem.), أَحِبَّاء‎ (pl.)
  •  Czech: milovaný‎ (masc.)
  •  Spanish: amado‎
  •  Telugu: ప్రియమైన‎
  •  Hebrew: אהוב‎
  •  Sorani: خۆشه‌ویست‎ (xoshewist), نازدار‎ (nazdar)
  •  Persian: معشوق‎ (ma’šuq), دلدار‎ (deldâr), دلبر‎ (delbar), یار‎ (yâr), جانان‎ (jânân), نگار‎ (negâr), محبوب‎ (mahbub), عزیز‎ (aziz), معشوقه‎ (ma’šuqe)
  •  Bulgarian: обичан‎, любим‎
  •  Scottish Gaelic: gràdhach‎, gràdhaichte‎, ionmhainn‎
  •  German: geliebt‎
  •  Korean: 사랑하는‎
  •  Mandarin: 親愛‎, 亲爱‎, 心愛‎, 心爱‎, 鍾愛‎, 钟爱‎
  •  Catalan: estimat‎ (masc.), estimada‎ (fem.)
  •  Modern: αγαπημένος‎
  •  Georgian: შეყვარებული‎, საყვარელი‎
  •  Vietnamese: yêu quý‎, yêu dấu‎
  •  Ancient: φίλος‎, ἀγαπητός‎
  •  Russian: возлю́бленный‎ (masc.), люби́мый‎ (masc.), жела́нный‎ (masc.)
  •  Dutch: geliefd‎, bemind‎, welbemind‎, lief‎
  •  Polish: ukochany‎, umiłowany‎
  •  Lithuanian: mylimas‎ (masc.), mylima‎ (fem.)
  •  Italian: amato‎ (masc.)

How can the word beloved be used in a sentence?

The word beloved can be used in many different sentences in the English language.  Using words in a sentence is a great way to memorize their definitions. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today. You can also try making flashcards or a quiz to memorize the definition of the word beloved. Below are a couple of examples of beloved. 

The actor beloved by the adoring fans kept the supporting players at an arm’s length so he could have the limelight.

The moderates were cranky at the left’s beloved Green New Deal.

What is the origin of the word beloved?

According to Etymonline, the word beloved has been used since the late c14 and comes from the past participle of belove, an obsolete Middle English verb. 

What are synonyms and antonyms of beloved?

There are many different possible words that a person can use in place of the word beloved. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same definition as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your vocabulary and avoid repeating the same word over and over again. This list of synonyms for beloved is provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  sugar
  •  heartthrob
  •  favorite
  •  treasure
  •  treasured
  •  beau
  •  inamorata
  •  sweetheart
  •  paramour
  •  idol
  •  valued
  •  sweetie
  •  dear
  •  swain
  •  main squeeze
  •  much loved
  •  loved
  •  baby
  •  dear one
  •  truelove
  •  angel
  •  steady
  •  admired
  •  cherished
  •  dearest
  •  idolized
  •  darling
  •  girlfriend
  •  lover
  •  well-liked
  •  popular
  •  lovers
  •  esteemed
  •  adored
  •  favourite
  •  worshiped
  •  significant other
  •  sweet
  •  honey
  •  pet
  •  love
  •  venerated
  •  flame
  •  revered
  •  respected
  •  precious
  •  loved one
  •  inamorato
  •  prized
  •  boyfriend

There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word beloved. These opposite words are called antonyms. Antonyms are also a quick and easy way to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms are also provided by Power Thesaurus

  •  fork and knife
  •  provoked
  •  rejected
  •  prided
  •  cheese and kisses
  •  contemned
  •  unloved
  •  lonely heart
  •  mocked
  •  abhorred
  •  offended
  •  despised
  •  abandoned
  •  derided
  •  refused
  •  old flame
  •  disregarded
  •  taunted
  •  dude
  •  detested
  •  duchess of fife
  •  disparaged
  •  insulted
  •  disliked
  •  underdog
  •  laughing-stock
  •  sneered
  •  plates and dishes
  •  cows and kisses
  •  ignored
  •  lonely
  •  name is mud
  •  man
  •  old man
  •  scorned
  •  avoided
  •  nauseated
  •  hate
  •  love bomber
  •  slighted
  •  enemy
  •  laughing stock
  •  one’s name is mud
  •  outcast
  •  hated
  •  anathema
  •  secret admirer
  •  disdained
  •  foe
  •  storm and strife

Overall, the word beloved means deeply loved and cared for. This adjective is also the name of a novel by Toni Morrison and is used frequently in the Bible. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today to add it to your vocabulary!

Sources:

  1. Beloved Definition and Meaning | Bible Dictionary 
  2. Beloved synonyms – 902 Words and Phrases for Beloved | Power Thesaurus 
  3. What does beloved mean? | Definitions  
  4. Beloved definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary 
  5. beloved: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  6. beloved | Origin and meaning of beloved | Online Etymology Dictionary 
  7. Beloved antonyms – 110 Opposites of Beloved | Power Thesaurus