Meaning & use
your loved ones
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
The people you love most, especially your family and close friends.
Grammar: Always plural and usually used with a possessive word such as 'your', 'our', or 'their'.
Patterns
- your loved ones
- spend time with your loved ones
- protect your loved ones
She wanted to spend the holidays with her loved ones.
The hospital advises patients to tell their loved ones about the treatment.
Keep your loved ones safe on the roads this winter.
Common combinations
- family and loved ones
- The ceremony was attended by family and loved ones.
- spend time with your loved ones
- He retired so he could spend more time with his loved ones.
- protect your loved ones
- Insurance is one way to protect your loved ones.
- friends and loved ones
- She was surrounded by friends and loved ones.
Synonyms and how they differ
- family
- Narrower and more neutral; it refers to relatives, while 'loved ones' can also include close friends.
- nearest and dearest
- A more informal, slightly old-fashioned idiom with a similar warm tone.
Word family
Commonly confused: your loved ones or love ones? your loved ones or relatives?
your loved ones vs love ones
A common mistake; the correct form uses the past participle 'loved'.
your loved ones vs relatives
'Relatives' means family members by blood or marriage, but not friends, so it is narrower.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is 'loved ones' — past participle plus plural noun. The apostrophe forms show possession, and 'loves ones' uses the wrong verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “your loved ones”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.