# What is love? Is it possible to give a formal definition?

**URL:** <https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/what-is-love-is-it-possible-to-give-a-formal-definition/577>\
**Category:** General Philosophy\
**Created:** [April 5, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/what-is-love-is-it-possible-to-give-a-formal-definition/577 "2026-04-05T14:05:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 26

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**Author:** ![Jackal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/jackal/32/346_2.png) [@Jackal](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Jackal)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 6:09pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/what-is-love-is-it-possible-to-give-a-formal-definition/577/26 "2026-04-05T18:09:58Z")

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Of course.

You may or may not find my posts on the earlier topic, specifically [here](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/what-is-love-in-any-regard/219/14) and [here](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/what-is-love-in-any-regard/219/17) of some relevance.

Essentially challenging the person to determine what love is not, thus isolating the universal qualities of such. Without getting into much detail, basic “requirements” such as obviously “awareness” or a person or thing’s existence, and the desire to have it not be taken away, harmed, or destroyed. This seems like a reasonable foundation. But such foundations are shared by things that mimic, or at least have shared qualities of, love. Things like respect or admiration. You can respect or admire something without loving it. Or can you? This is where the waters become muddied, if not by our own minds and will. 🙂

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