amatory

adjective

am·​a·​to·​ry ˈa-mə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce amatory (audio)
: of, relating to, or expressing sexual love
amatory adventures

Examples of amatory in a Sentence

amatory letters that kept their love alive during the years they were separated by war
Recent Examples on the Web The brilliant young Mozart, only 34 at the time of the premiere, lifted this ludicrous amatory romp into sublime heights with his music. Jeremy Yudkin, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023 Lapine, making his feature film debut, doesn’t have the technique to turn this amatory whirl into a lyrical roundelay. Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2023 Peacock, talented, attractive, amatory, and a good friend to the bohemian Shelley circle, married, rather surprisingly, a Welsh parson’s daughter, Jane Gryffydh, who was ill at ease in London and developed life-long mental illness after the death of one of her children. Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 17 Nov. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amatory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin amātōrius, adjective derivative of amātōr-, amātor "lover" — more at amateur

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amatory was in 1571

Dictionary Entries Near amatory

Cite this Entry

“Amatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amatory. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

amatory

adjective
am·​a·​to·​ry ˈam-ə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce amatory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
: of, relating to, or expressing sexual love
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