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loved one

loved one

310 1.3
A person you care about deeply, like a family member or close friend
  • noun
  • /lʌvd wʌn/
translation icon : ser querido
  • So tell your friends, tell your family, your loved ones that you love them.
  • death of loved ones
  • lose a loved one
  • loss of loved ones

Have you ever given your loved ones plastic flowers?

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Examples

  • I want to thank you for entrusting your loved ones to us.

  • We live together with our loved ones, and our bodies change as the child grows.

    Academic text (1995)
  • We cannot perform a wedding for you and your loved one in our church.

  • Go hang out with the friends, family, and loved ones who knew your mom so well.

  • "It's sad how it takes bad things to bring loved ones closer," she said.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • When it is not practical to take loved ones along, staying in close contact becomes critical.

    Academic text (1995)
  • I'll take a picture of you and your loved ones.

  • You, your loved ones, that's the priority.

  • Anytime you grieve a loved one, it's going to have an impact.

  • I always make time to call my loved one and check in on how they're doing.

Synonyms

love
vsloved one
  • Informal
772 1.0

A word people use to address someone they care about, like dear

is a broader label for any close person, not only an affectionate name
dearest
vsloved one
  • Informal
162 2.2

A person you love very much

is a neutral term for a close person rather than specifically warm address
beloved
vsloved one
19 3.4

A person who is very much loved

is the everyday term for a person you care for deeply
lovey
vsloved one
  • Informal
5 7.5

A gentle name used for someone you love

is the general not necessarily playful name for a close person

Antonyms

1.0

A person who wants to harm or defeat you

How Close

soul mate
38 3.4
loved one
310 1.3
friend
1.0
acquaintance
114 3.5
stranger
1.0

Surface Forms

loved one singular
loved ones plural

Morphology

loved + one

The meaning 'a person you love or care for' is directly derivable from combining 'loved' (deeply cared for) with 'one' (a single person); the phrase simply labels a person who is loved. This compositional, cross-linguistically common pattern is predictable for B1 learners who know both constituents.

Etymology

Loved one may come from people shortening the phrase 'the one I love', using one to mean a single person and loved to show care. So loved one means 'a person you love or care for deeply'.