Meanings
- 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 972 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 PhilandererHe 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
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃emh₃-
- Proto-Italic*amāō
- Latinamō
- Latinamātus
- Medieval Latinamātīvus
- Englishamative
From Medieval Latin amātīvus, from Latin amātus, perfect passive participle of amō (“love”).
More words from Medieval Latin, Latin
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
amative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amative
“amative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amative. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “amative,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amative.
Source: amative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.