Agape

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈɡeɪp/

Definitions

1. Having the mouth or eyes wide open, often in surprise or wonder ; a form of unconditional, selfless love that is spiritual or altruistic
2. Describing an expression with the mouth or eyes unclosed in shock or amazement ; a type of love that is generous, pure, and without expecting anything in return
3. Characterized by an open mouth or eyes showing astonishment ; a compassionate and unconditional love directed towards others without selfish motives

Etymology: Milton got there first. In "Paradise Lost" (1667) he wrote of Eve's gaze and of creatures standing with mouths open, and the adjective "agape" has described that open-mouthed wonder ever since. It is built from the prefix "a-", meaning "in the state of", plus "gape", so the word literally describes being caught in the act of gaping. The noun it shares a spelling with comes from a different route. "Agape" traces back to Ancient Greek "agápē", a word for generous, unselfish love. Early Christian writers adopted it for the love of God for humans and of believers for one another, and it entered English with that religious sense. Its best-known public face was the "agape", or love-feast, a communal meal shared by early Christians, whose name survives in the phrase Roller's catacomb illustrations once depicted. The two words have nothing in common beyond their letters: one is a plain English adjective of wonder, the other a Greek loan with a spiritual meaning. They look like relatives only because they were spelled the same way.

Synonyms: gaping, wide-open

Antonyms: closed, shut