Taking sexual relationship as its own thing, separate from romantic relationship (i.e. separating the sexual and romantic aspects), what is the difference between a friendship and a romantic relationship? What differentiates them, exactly?

  • memfree@lemmy.ml
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    6 hours ago

    The absence of sex is part of the definition for platonic (unless you’re referencing how Plato himself had sex which would have to be Platonic, but it’s a different word when capitalized).

    platonic: Neither sexual nor romantic in nature; being or exhibiting platonic love.

    platonic love: Intimate but non-sexual affection.

    Attested 1636 in Platonic Lovers by William Davenant. Earlier coined in Latin in the 15th century as amor platonicus by Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino (originally in 1476 letter to Alamanno Donati, later expounded in De amore (1484)), based on his interpretation of the Symposium by Plato, specifically the speech by Socrates, relating the thoughts of Diotima of Mantinea.