How to Use platonic in a Sentence

platonic

adjective
  • They had a platonic friendship, not a romantic one.
  • Our relationship was strictly platonic.
  • This is not to say that the soccer will be great, in Platonic terms.
    Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 23 July 2023
  • The dirt in my new yard is not the platonic ideal of anything.
    Bonnie Kristian, The Week, 14 Oct. 2021
  • How to find the platonic ideal of a place and position in which to read.
    Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 26 June 2021
  • The first is that the belief in a neo-platonic soul is essential for faith.
    Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
  • Despite its motor being in the wrong place, the 911 is thought to be the platonic ideal of a sports car.
    Damien Scott, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2024
  • Each had attended with platonic dates — she with one of his friends, and he with one of hers — and hung out in the same group.
    Rosalie R. Radomsky, New York Times, 9 Dec. 2022
  • Fight over who gets the last bite of the crispy com chay with Vietnamese sausage, the platonic ideal of fried rice dishes.
    Nikita Richardson, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2022
  • My point is that gay people have platonic friends – both straight and gay.
    Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 4 Nov. 2019
  • My point is that gay people have platonic friends — both straight and gay.
    Amy Dickinson, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2019
  • My point is that gay people have platonic friends -- both straight and gay.
    Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, 4 Nov. 2019
  • But the truth is that B.J. is so much more like family now than a platonic friend.
    Andrea Wurzburger, Peoplemag, 25 June 2024
  • The platonic ideal of a hori hori knife, complete with a sheath that boldly states the purpose of this tool.
    Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 13 May 2022
  • Is your Valentine your platonic best friend who hates a crowd?
    oregonlive, 10 Feb. 2023
  • The platonic ideal of a Lucille-ism comes in a flashback.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2021
  • The Nexus 7 was as close as Google (or, arguably, anyone) ever got to the platonic ideal of a small tablet.
    Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 10 May 2023
  • My brother said a guy will not hang out a lot for platonic reasons.
    Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
  • Jay’s sister is back, this time with her platonic friend.
    Mike Hughes, The Enquirer, 19 Nov. 2022
  • This wouldn’t be the worst time for a romantic (or platonic) getaway for two.
    Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2024
  • The platonic pair, whom many fans thought were lovers, made three albums with a wide variety of sounds.
    Craig Seymour, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2023
  • Did this reflection kindle in him a platonic want—the desire to know and be known?
    The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
  • Some women are sending their nudes to platonic friends, and even strangers.
    Nicole Schmidt, Glamour, 24 Aug. 2023
  • Our base was the Felin Fach Griffin, the platonic ideal of a Welsh country pub with rooms.
    Tom Vanderbilt, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2024
  • But the most compelling relationship in the film is the platonic one between Noah and Howie.
    Inkoo Kang, Washington Post, 7 June 2022
  • Those are all pretty good signs your friendship is full of (platonic) love.
    Tanyel Mustafa, refinery29.com, 8 Aug. 2024
  • The pair had dated but split up two weeks prior to this date and had maintained a platonic friendship.
    Bradford Betz, Fox News, 13 July 2022
  • At the time, a source told People that the hand-holding was totally platonic.
    Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 13 May 2022
  • While that may have been true in that moment, the couple has certainly evolved beyond being platonic friends.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 30 Sep. 2024
  • Of course, Gen Z’s stated interest in stories about platonic friendships doesn’t mean that Hollywood should give up on romantic stories.
    Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'platonic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: