Noun
loved one (plural loved ones)
- A very close friend or family member for whom a person has feelings of endearment, one of someone's close ones; sometimes: next of kin (for example on hospital admission form).
1904, Jack London, chapter 30, in The Sea-Wolf (Macmillan’s Standard Library), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC:I felt myself masculine, the protector of the weak, the fighting male. And, best of all, I felt myself the protector of my loved one. She leaned against me.
1977, David Byrne (lyrics and music), “Don't Worry About the Government”, in Talking Heads: 77, performed by Talking Heads:It's gonna be easy to get things done / I will relax along with my loved ones / Loved ones, loved ones visit the building
2020 June 5, Alyson Krueger, “The Agonizing Question: Is New York City Worth It Anymore?”, in New York Times:“Friends called around and sat on pillars outside the building and I talked to them out the window,” said Ms. Cunningham, who added that she kept in touch with loved ones over Zoom as well.
- (euphemistic) A recently deceased close friend or family member.
2003 March 29, Jessica Watson, “Laying to rest the days of his and hearse”, in Guardian (UK), retrieved 23 June 2008:Whereas once the main option was a traditional black hearse service, these days a "green funeral" with a cardboard coffin is just one of the alternative ways to send off a loved one.
Usage notes
- Often used in the plural to refer to the family of a deceased person.
Translations
very close friend or family member
- Finnish: läheinen (fi) (family or friend); omainen (fi) (family)
- French: proche (fr) m, être aimé m
- German: Angehöriger (de) m, Freund (de) m, Angehörige (de) f, Freundin (de) f, Liebster m, Liebste f
- Hebrew: אהוב m (ahúv), אהובה f (ahuvá)
- Hungarian: szerette (hu)
- Irish: ansacht f
- Norwegian: kjære (no)
- Polish: bliski (pl) m
- Portuguese: ente querido m
- Russian: люби́мый (ru) m (ljubímyj), люби́мая (ru) f (ljubímaja), бли́зкий (ru) m (blízkij), бли́зкая (ru) (blízkaja), родно́й (ru) m (rodnój), родна́я (ru) f (rodnája)
- Scottish Gaelic: luaidh m or f
- Spanish: ser amado, ser querido m, alguien cercano m
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recently deceased friend or family member