amative

A1M3A1T1I1V4E1
UK/ˈam.ə.tɪv/

adjective

Pertaining to love; amorous.

Scrabble 12

Meanings

adjectiveamative (not comparable)
  1. not comparablePertaining to love; amorous.

    His endearments were not amative or effete, but manly like Churchill's, and gave one a sense of being singled out, of having value.

    1988, Alan Hollinghurst, The Swimming-Pool Library, paperback edition, London: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 97
    2 more examples

    His amative enthusiasm, at which he is himself laughing, and his clever, imaginative, humorous ways, contrast strongly with the sincere tenderness and dignified quietness of the woman.

    1893, George Bernard Shaw, The Philanderer

    He was also confounded by its implication in Podson. Damme, the idea of that runt of a feller makin' up to a woman old enough to be his mother! Bradly banged pots about the stove, preparing the evening meal, to relieve himself of an outraged sense of propriety at Podson's amative presumption.

    1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 151

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveinclined toward or displaying love

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₃emh₃-
  2. Proto-Italic*amāō
  3. Latinamō
  4. Latinamātus
  5. Medieval Latinamātīvus
  6. Englishamative

From Medieval Latin amātīvus, from Latin amātus, perfect passive participle of amō (“love”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali অনুরাগপ্রবণ, অনুরাগজনক
  • অনুরাগপ্রবণ (onuragoprobon)pertaining to love
  • অনুরাগজনক (onuragjonok)pertaining to love
Bulgarian любовен, влюбчив
  • любовен (ljuboven)pertaining to love
  • влюбчив (vljubčiv)pertaining to love
Finnish rakkaus-, lempi-
  • rakkaus-pertaining to love
  • lempi-pertaining to love
Portuguese amativo
  • amativopertaining to love
Russian влю́бчивый
  • влю́бчивый (vljúbčivyj)pertaining to love
Cite this entry
APA

amative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amative

MLA

“amative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amative. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “amative,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amative.

Source: amative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.