What does "agape" mean?
The love of God for mankind, or the benevolent love of Christians for others.
Agape
/əˈɡɑː.peɪ/ adj, adv, noun
adj, adv, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The love of God for mankind, or the benevolent love of Christians for others.
- Grammar: agape is listed as adj, adv, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accord, accordance, admiration, adoration.
- Useful contrasts: closed, closure, cruel.
- Usage evidence: That child stared at me, his mouth agape.
How to use "agape"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "agape" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "agape" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "agape" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "agape" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "agape" is acting as adj, adv, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accord" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "agape", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The love of God for mankind, or the benevolent love of Christians for others. uncountable
- 2 a religious meal shared as a sign of love and fellowship wordnet
- 3 Spiritual, altruistic, beneficial love which wills good for others. uncountable
- 4 selfless love of one person for another without sexual implications (especially love that is spiritual in nature) wordnet
- 5 A love feast, especially one held in the early Christian Church in connection with the Eucharist. countable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 (Christian theology) the love of God or Christ for mankind wordnet
Adjective
- 1 In a state of astonishment, wonder, expectation, or eager attention; as with mouth hanging open.
"[…] in himself was all his state, More solemn then the tedious pomp that waits On Princes, when thir rich Retinue long Of Horses led, and Grooms besmeard with Gold Dazles the croud, and sets them all agape."
- 2 Wide open.
"With his mouth agape and his hands clenched, Rufus Dawes, incapable of further speech, made a last effort to nod assent, but his head fell upon his breast; the next moment, the flickering light, the gloomy prison, the eager face of the doctor, and the astonished face of Vickers, vanished from before his straining eyes."
Adjective
- 1 with the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe wordnet
Adverb
- 1 In a state of astonishment, wonder, expectation, or eager attention.
"Three of us--two biologists and I--were crouched behind a huge boulder at the water's edge and staring agape as the largest bear I ever saw came toward us"
- 2 Open wide.
"Its mouth yawned agape"
Example
"That child stared at me, his mouth agape."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "agape"?
Common synonyms include: accord, accordance, admiration, adoration, affection, affinity.
How do you use "agape" in a sentence?
That child stared at me, his mouth agape.
How do you pronounce "agape"?
Pronounced /əˈɡɑː.peɪ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From a- + gape. First known use by John Milton in Paradise Lost (1667).
Etymology 2
From Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē).