platonic1
/pləˈtɒnɪk
/adjective
(Of love or friendship) intimate and affectionate but not sexual: their relationship is purely platonic platonic love...
- Modern readers continue to debate whether the poems express platonic friendship or sexual love.
- Have you had a platonic friendship that crossed the line and became romantic or sexual?
- It is a purely platonic friendship, we are good company for each other.
Synonyms
non-sexual, non-physical, chaste;
spiritual, intellectual, friendly
Derivatives
platonically
- I was platonically sharing a flat with a fellow student who, of course, slept in a separate bedroom.
- I have this friend that I've known platonically for about ten years.
- I eventually rented a house with my friend, because I had been accustomed to living platonically - as housemates, not roommates - with females.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from Platonic, with reference to a discussion of love in the Symposium by Plato.
Platonic2
/pləˈtɒnɪk/adjective
1Of or associated with the Greek philosopher Plato or his ideas: readers of the Platonic dialogues a kind of Platonic ideal of a New York City apartment...
- An authoritarian response would be to delegate power to a paternalistic dictator, a Platonic philosopher king.
- I think that Greek Tragedy and the Platonic dialogues are positively riddled with irony.
- Garbo's face, still, white, perfect, like a mask, resembles the timeless Platonic ideal of beauty as it exists in the mind of God.
2Confined to words, theories, or ideals, and not leading to practical action: a Platonic gesture...
- An eminent diplomatic commentator wrote that the action taken by France in response to atomic tests by South Africa would not be purely platonic.
- It would be more useful if our West European partners' position was less platonic and if they made a more energetic and persistent effort to pound it into the Americans.
- An anti-capitalist movement must be equal to this, otherwise it will not be effective, unless of course you intend your movement to be merely Platonic.
Origin
Mid 16th century: via Latin from Greek Platōnikos, from Platōn 'Plato'. See also platonic.