loved

Loved is the past tense and past participle form of the verb love in Modern English. As a finite verb, loved indicates that the act of loving occurred in the past or that someone or something has been the recipient of love. As a past participle, it can form perfect tenses (has loved, had loved) and passive constructions (was loved, were loved). It can also function adjectivally in phrases such as a well-loved book or the loved ones.

Etymology: The verb love derives from Old English lufu, related to words in several other Germanic languages. The regular English suffix -ed was added to form the past tense and past participle in Middle English, giving loved as the standard form by the early modern period. The semantic range of love spans affection, friendship, romantic attachment, and strong regard or value.

Usage: Loved is common in personal, literary, and religious contexts. It often expresses affection toward people, animals, objects, or ideals. In everyday speech it can imply both emotional connection and social recognition, such as “You are loved” or “they were very much loved by their community.” As an adjective, loved emphasizes positive valuation and can imply a cherished status; related terms include beloved, dear, or cherished.

See also: Love; Beloved; Cherished; Relationship and attachment; Linguistic use of past participles as adjectives.