Wiktionary

beloved

See also: belovèd

English

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WOTD – 13 February 2017

Etymology

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From Middle English beloved, biloved, equivalent to belove +‎ -ed.

Pronunciation

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Predicative adjective and past participle
Attributive adjective and noun

Adjective

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beloved (comparative more beloved, superlative most beloved)

  1. Much loved, dearly loved.
    Antonym: beloathed
    • 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC, pages 187–188:
      But I found at laſt, by hearing and conſidering of things that are Divine, which indeed I heard of you, as alſo of beloved Faithful, that was put to death for his Faith and good-living in Vanity-fair, That the end of these things is death. [Rom[ans] 6. 21, 22, 23.] And that for theſe things ſake, the wrath of God cometh upon the children of diſobedience. [Eph[esians] 5. 6.]
    • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Æsop, &c.] Fab[le] CLXXXV. Jupiters Wedding.”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC, page 155:
      When the Toy had once taken Jupiter in the Head to Enter into a State of Matrimony, he Reſolv'd for the Honour of his Celeſtial Lady, that the whole World ſhould keep a Feſtiual upon the Day of his Marriage, and ſo Invited all Living Creatures, Tag-Rag and Bob-Tail, to the Solemnity to his Wedding. They all came in very Good Time, ſaving the Tortoiſe. Jupiter […] Ask'd him, Why ſo Late? Why truly ſays the Tortoiſe, I was at Home, at my Own Houſe, my Dearly Beloved Houſe, and [Home is Home, let it be never ſo Homely.]
    • 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, pages 164–165:
      It is ſcarce poſſible to imagine the Conſternation I was now in, being driven from my beloved Iſland (for ſo it appeared to me now to be) into the wide Ocean, almoſt two Leagues, and in the utmoſt Deſpair of ever recovering it again.
    • 1765, Thomas Percy, compiler, “The Bailiff’s Daughter of Islington”, in Reliques of Ancient English Poetry: […], volume III, London: […] J[ames] Dodsley […], →OCLC, book II, page 133, lines 1–4:
      There was a youthe, and a well-beloved youthe, / And he was a ſquires ſon: / He loved the bayliffes daughter deare, / That lived in Iſlington.
    • 1964 March, “Train braking - the next steps”, in Modern Railways, page 186:
      The vacuum brake, much beloved by English- (though not Scottish-) built or inspired railways, but little favoured elsewhere.
    • 2014, Niall MacLeòid, “The Death of the Widow's Child”, in Meg Bateman, Anne Loughran, editors, Bàird Ghleann Dail = The Glendale Bards: A Selection of Songs and Poems by Niall MacLeòid (1843–1913), ‘The Bard of Skye’, His Brother Ian Dubh (1847–1901) and Their Father Dòmhnall nan Òran (c. 1787–1873), Edinburgh: John Donald, →ISBN, verse 4:
      In yonder corner your little chair, / where you often sat at my knee, / singing your sweet murmuring hymns, / my belovèd child!

Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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beloved (plural beloveds)

  1. Someone who is loved; something that is loved.
    Antonym: beloathed

Translations

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Verb

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beloved

  1. (obsolete) simple past and past participle of belove.
    • 1547, The Order of the Communion. With the Kings Majesties Proclamation, London: Imprinted [...] by Richard Grafton, →OCLC, page 4:
      Dearly beloved in the Lord, ye coming to his holy Communion, must consider what St. Paul writeth to the Corinthians, how he exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves, or ever they presume to eat of this bread, and drink of this Cup: […]
    • 1747, Thomas Birch, “William Lord Russel”, in The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain, Engraven by Mr. [Jacobus] Houbraken, and Mr. [George] Vertue. With Their Lives and Characters, volume I, London: Printed for John and Paul Knapton, →OCLC, page 124:
      He [William Russell, Lord Russell] was a man of great candour and of a general reputation, univerſally beloved and truſted; of a generous and obliging temper.
    • 1760, Delahay Gordon, “The Life and Death of Mary Queen of Scots”, in A General History of the Lives, Trials, and Executions of All the Royal and Noble Personages, that have Suffered in Great-Britain and Ireland for High Treason, or Other Crimes, from the Accession of Henry VIII. to the Throne of England, down to the Present Time; [...], volume II, London: Printed for J. Burd, opposite St. Dunstan's Church, Fleet-Street, →OCLC, page 108:
      [B]eing a plain and honeſt-minded man, […] he [Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox] loſt the favour of the French king in a ſhort time; and, when he could neither continue at home, nor return into France, he came into England, and ſubmitted himſelf to Henry VIII, who accepted him as a man well-beloved in the weſt borders, and acknowledged him as next heir to the crown of Scotland, after Mary then an infant, […]
    • 1800, Schultz, [Benjamin Beresford, translator], “The Wooer”, in A Collection of German Ballads and Songs with Their Original Music, Done into English, 2nd edition, Berlin: [Printed by G. F. Starke and] sold by H. Frölich, and by Messieurs Baumgärtners, Leipsic, →OCLC, stanza I, page 29:
      With auburn locks and killing eyes, / A laſs tripp'd o'er the mead. / The day declin'd; soft blush'd the skies, / And warblings fill'd the glade. / I nought but her could hear and see.— / Belov'd, I swear, the maid shall be, / Forever and for aye by me!

Alternative forms

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