PLATONIC, something that relates to Plato, his
school-philosophy, opinions, or the like. Thus, platonic
love denotes a pure spiritual affection, for which
Plato was a great advocate, subsisting between the dif-
ferent sexes, abstracted from all carnal appetites, and re-
garding no other object but the mind and its beauties;
or it is even a sincere disinterested friendship subsisting
between persons of the same sex, abstracted from any
selfish views, and regarding no other object than the
person, if any such love or friendship has sought of a
foundation in nature.