Affectionately

/əˈfɛkʃənətli/

adverbBeginner📊CommonEmotion
1 meaning1 question

Definitions

1

Showing fondness, tenderness, or love.

/əˈfɛkʃənətli/

adverbpositiveBeginner
Emotion

In a loving or tender manner.

He spoke affectionately about his childhood.

💡 Simply: In a loving way.

More Examples

2

She smiled affectionately at her children.

How It's Used

Personal Letters

"She wrote to her grandmother affectionately."

Family Communication

"He affectionately patted his dog's head."

From Middle English *afectuous, from Old French afectieus, from Latin affectus, past participle of afficere "to affect, influence". The suffix -ly denotes adverbial form.

The word's usage has remained relatively consistent throughout history, primarily expressing tender feelings.

Memory tip

Think of 'affection' and add '-ly' for the adverbial form.

Word Origin

Original meaning

"to affect, influence; to strive after"

affectionately rememberedaffectionately known as

Common misspellings

afectionatelyaffecionatelyaffectionatly

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written