agape love
- noun
- /əˈɡeɪp lʌv/
- Formal
:
amor ágape
- Agape love is often described as a selfless, unconditional love that transcends human emotions.
Examples
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There's arrows, which is passion, there's friendship, and then there's agape love, which is selfless love.
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This agape love, directed first toward humanity, then toward one's own higher Self, and finally toward all of creation, quickens the journey back to our Source.
Academic text (1994) -
In many religions, agape love is considered the highest form of love, representing compassion for all beings.
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Volunteering for the homeless is an example of agape love, showing care and support without expecting anything in return.
Synonyms
1
5.2
A warm, gentle feeling of care and concern for other people
1
9.2
Love that is kind and gives without asking for anything back
How Loving
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'selfless, unconditional love' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'agape' (selfless benevolence) with 'love' (affection), following a straightforward modifier + noun pattern. Although 'agape' is somewhat register-specific (theological) in English, the semantic contribution is clear, so a learner who knows both constituents would understand the MWE.
Etymology
Agape love comes from the Greek word agape, used by early Christians to name a giving, selfless kind of love. Think of someone helping strangers without asking for anything back; that image is why agape love means 'selfless, unconditional love' today.