a person who has an extramarital or premarital sexual relationship with another person - (often plural)
either of the two people involved in a love affair someone who loves a specified person or thing: a lover of music (in combination): a music-lover, a cat-lover
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
lov•er /ˈlʌvɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a person who is in love with another.
- a person who has a sexual or romantic relationship with another.
- a devotee of something:a music lover.
lov•er
(luv′ər),USA pronunciation n.
lov′er•less, adj.
lov′er•like′, adj.
Lov•er (luv′ər),USA pronunciation n.
- a person who is in love with another.
- a person who has a sexual or romantic relationship with another.
- a person with whom one conducts an extramarital sexual affair.
- a person who has a strong enjoyment or liking for something, as specified:a lover of music.
- a person who loves, esp. a person who has or shows a warm and general affectionate regard for others:a lover of mankind.
- 1175–1225; Middle English; see love, -er1
lov′er•like′, adj.
- 4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged . devotee, enthusiast, fan.
Lov•er (luv′ər),USA pronunciation n.
- Biographical Samuel, 1797–1868, Irish novelist, painter, and songwriter.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'book lover' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):