What is the definition of love? - Cosmopolitan

According to the dictionary, love is "an intense feeling of deep affection." Meanwhile, Urban Dictionary defines love as, "The act of caring and ... Search Entertainment LoveIsland Netflix Tech Books Beauty Makeup Hair Skincare Celebrityhair&makeup CurlTalk Beautylab Love&Sex Love&Sex Relationships Sex LGBTQ+ Fashion Fashion Celebrityfashion Fashionnews Styleinspiration Curve Weddings TattooInspo Conscious Horoscopes Horoscopes MonthlyHoroscopes YearlyHoroscopes Work/Life Worklife Careers College&Uni Travel Interiors Food&Drink Body Body Health Parenthood Diet&nutrition Fitness&workouts News&Politics AllVideos Newsletter Win Subscribe Shop CosmoBeauty CosmoLiving CosmoSun EauDeJuice Events Follow Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram Youtube PrivacyNotice CookiesPolicy Editions: US UK España Italia Nederland 台灣 Japan Celebs Love Beauty Fashion Body Subscribe Newsletter UK UK Typekeyword(s)tosearch Today'sTopStories 1 SpaceNK'sadventcalendarisboundtosellout 2 18oil-freehydratingmoisturiserswelove 3 Thisbrideupcycledhersecondhandweddingdress 4 21bestwomen'sbootstoshopnow 5 TheCosmoEditatHouseBeautifulMarketplace Whatislove?Wealltalkaboutlovealot,butwhatactuallyisthedefinitionoflove?Whatdoeslovereallyfeellike?Andhowislovedifferentfromlust?Hereareallthedifferentwaysthatlovecanbedefined,plusanexpertexplainsexactlywhatloveis.Whatarethedifferenttypesoflove?Loveisanincrediblysubjectivething,andwithinloveitselfthereareawholebunchofdifferentkindsoflove.There’snon-romanticplatoniclovebetweenfriends,lovebetweenfamilymembers,plusintenseunconditionallove.But,mostoften,whenpeopletalkaboutlovetheymeanromanticlovewithapartner.TheLGBTQ+communityshowsthatthereareplentyofdifferentformsoflove.Lesbiansarewomenthatloveotherwomen,whilegaymenloveothermen,andbisexualpeoplelovepeopleofmorethanonegender,whilepansexualpeoplelovepeopleofallgenders.Somepeoplearepolyamorous,meaningtheylovemultipleromanticpartnersatonce,whileothersarearomanticanddon'tfeelromanticallyattractedtootherpeopleatall.Meanwhile,alotofpeoplesimplyprefertoidentifyasqueer.Butattheendoftheday,loveislove.Whatisthedefinitionoflove?Accordingtothedictionary,loveis"anintensefeelingofdeepaffection."Meanwhile,UrbanDictionarydefinesloveas,"Theactofcaringandgivingtosomeoneelse.Havingsomeone'sbestinterestandwellbeingasapriorityinyourlife.Totrulyloveisaveryselflessact." mediaphotosGettyImages "Lovingsomeoneisaboutacceptingthemforwhotheyare,"explainspsychosexual&relationshiptherapistandpsychotherapistSarahCalvert,eventhethingsthatyoumightnotnecessarilylikeaboutthem,suchashowmessytheyare.Lovingsomeonemeansevenlovingthemundanityofyourday-to-daylifetogether,andbuildingarealcommitmenttotheotherperson,Sarahexplains.Differentpeoplehavedifferentdefinitionsandexperiencesoflove,andeveryone'sdifferentexperiencesofloveisofcoursegoingtoshapewhatlovemeanstothem.AccordingtoAnya*,age20,whoisengagedinalong-distancerelationship,"Loveisareciprocalinteractionthatneedstobedisplayedonbothsides.Itisanemotionhoweveritcomesafterthere’strust,afterthere’sloyaltyandafterthere’scommitment.Sothere’salotofsacrificeandalotofresponsibility." Thiscontentisimportedfrom{embed-name}.Youmaybeabletofindthesamecontentinanotherformat,oryoumaybeabletofindmoreinformation,attheirwebsite. Howcanyoutellyou’reinlove?“Beinginloveisassociatedwithintensefeelingsofpassion,infatuation,obsessionandlust,”saysSarah.Youcantellthatyou’reinlovewithsomebodyifyoufeellikeyoumissthemallthetime,feeladesperateneedtobewiththem,orfeellikeyoucan’tconcentrateonotherthings.However,lovecanalsotakeupalotofenergyandfeelveryconsuming,addsSarah,anditmaycauseyoutoseean‘idealised’versionoftheotherperson,whichiswherethephrase‘loveisblind’comesfrom. JenaArdellGettyImages Whatdoeslovefeellike?Thereareplentyofphysicalreasonsastowhyyoufeelthewayyoudowhenyou’reinlove,whetherthat'sexcited,happy,orjustabitallovertheplace.“Beinginlovecauseschangesinourbodiesaswereleasedopamine,the‘feelgood’hormone,whichgivesusasenseofeuphoriaorpleasure,”explainsSarah.Whenwe’reinlove,ourbodiesalsoincreaseproductionofnorepinephrine,addsSarah,whichmakesyourheartraceandgivesyouextraenergy,causinghyperactivity.“That’swhysometimespeople'inlove'havealowerappetiteandexperienceinsomniaandrestlessness,”Sarahexplains,whichisoftenreferredtoasbeing‘lovesick’."Ithinkbeinginlovemeansthatyouareconnectedwithsomeoneonalllevels:physically,emotionally,spiritually,"explainsoneReddituser.It'sthefeelingthateventhoughyoujustmetthem,youfeellikeyou'veknownthemyourentirelife."Whatisthedifferencebetweenlovingsomeoneandbeinginlovewithsomeone? VesnaJovanovic/EyeEmGettyImages Tomakethewholeconceptofloveevenmorecomplicated,youcanloveapersonwithoutbeinginlovewiththemi.e.youlovethembuttheydon’tloveyouback(sadly).AccordingtoSarah,“lovingapersonasopposedtobeinginloveiscalmerandlessdramatic.”Plentyofbooks,films,poemsandsongshavebeenwrittenaboutunrequitedlove,andanyonewho’sbeentherewilltellyouit’sapainfulexperience.Whatarethesignsthatsomeonelovesyou?It'sdifficulttoidentifythesignsthatsomeoneisinlovewithyou.Sarahsuggestslookingoutforthefivelovelanguagesinyourpartner'sbehaviour.AccordingtorelationshipexpertDrGaryChapmaninhisbookTheFiveLoveLanguages:TheSecrettoLoveThatLasts,thedifferentwaysthatpeopleshowloveare:wordsofaffirmation,physicaltouch,sendinggifts,qualitytime,andactsofservice."It'simportantthatbothpartnersunderstandwhatmakeseachotherfeelloved,"addsSarah,especiallyifyouhaveamis-matchinhowyoubothexpresslove.Likethisarticle?Signuptoournewslettertogetmorearticleslikethisdeliveredstraighttoyourinbox.SIGNUP RelatedStory Whatdoeslustmeanfordaters? EmilyGulla EmilyGullaisCosmopolitanUK’sEditorialAssistant/JuniorEntertainmentandLifestyleWriter,coveringceleb,TVandfilmforthesite,magazineandvideo. Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow MoreFrom Dating101 Howtogamethesystemondatingapps Howlongdoesittaketofallinlove? Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow 25questionsyoushouldaskonafirstdate HowtogetoffdatingappsandfindloveIRL 12freedatingsitestocheckoutnow Yourmostunlikelyastrologicalmatch HowtonavigateyourlovelifewithADHD Howtoknowwhenit'stimetobreakup Asimpleguidetoflirting Whydoweglamourisetoxicrelationships?