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Lover vs Paramour - What's the difference?

lover | paramour |

As nouns the difference between lover and paramour

is that lover is one who loves and cares for another person in a romantic way; a sweetheart, love, soulmate, boyfriend, or girlfriend while paramour is an illicit lover, either male or female.

As an adverb paramour is

passionately, out of sexual desire; devotedly.

lover

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (dialectal or obsolete)

Noun

(en noun)
  • One who loves and cares for another person in a romantic way; a sweetheart, love, soulmate, boyfriend, or girlfriend.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Love is blind, and lovers cannot see / The pretty follies that themselves commit.
  • A sexual partner.
  • A person who loves something.
    • a lover of fine wines
    a lover of his country
    • All right, me lover?

    Synonyms

    * (one who loves and cares) love, love interest, sweetheart, significant other, see also * (sexual partner) See * (person who loves something) connoisseur * (any friend) See

    Derived terms

    * lover's lane / lovers' lane

    paramour

    English

    Alternative forms

    * paramours

    Adverb

    (-)
  • *Chaucer
  • *:For par amour I loved her first ere thou.
  • *:
  • *:Is this trouthe said Palomydes / Thenne shall we hastely here of sire Tristram / And as for to say that I loue la Beale Isoud peramours I dare make good that I doo / and that she hath my seruyse aboue alle other ladyes / and shalle haue the terme of my lyf

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An illicit lover, either male or female.
  • * (rfdate), Macaulay:
    • The seducer appeared with dauntless front, accompanied by his paramour .

    Synonyms

    * (l) * (l)