What does emotional mean?
"Emotional" is an adjective describing anything connected with, arising from, or expressive of human feelings. It has three main uses: it can relate to the emotions generally, as in "emotional health" or "emotional support"; it can describe a person or moment marked by visible, intense feeling, as in "an emotional farewell"; and it can characterize a decision or reaction driven by sentiment rather than reason, as in "an emotional purchase." The word carries no fixed connotation — describing someone as emotional may suggest warmth and depth of feeling, or, in some contexts, instability and overreaction, so tone depends heavily on framing. Derived ultimately from the Latin verb movere, meaning "to move," it entered English via "emotion," a noun adopted in the seventeenth century. Its everyday centrality is hard to overstate: modern phrases like "emotional intelligence" have made it essential vocabulary in psychology, workplace culture, and ordinary conversation alike.
adjectiveRelating to or characterized by intense feelings and the emotions, such as joy, anger, sadness, or fear.
- Connected with or relating to a person's emotions and feelings.
- (Of a person or their behavior) showing or expressing strong feelings openly.
- (Of a decision or response) based on feelings rather than reason or careful thought.
"The film's final scene was so emotional that several viewers left the theater in tears."
"She made an emotional appeal to the committee, her voice breaking as she spoke."
"Buying the house was an emotional decision rather than a financial one."
Every word you say travels through a part of your brain that "emotional" helps describe — yet English only borrowed the underlying Latin verb for "move out" a few centuries ago.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of emotional
"Emotional" derives from "emotion," which English adopted in the early seventeenth century from French émotion, itself from Latin emovere, meaning "to move out, stir up." The adjective formed directly from this noun, first appearing in the nineteenth century, though its earliest senses also covered physical movement before narrowing to feelings. It shares its root with words such as "motion," "promote," and "remote," all descendants of the same Latin verb.
Related word forms
How emotional is actually used
Neutral in register and appropriate in both formal and informal contexts. When applied to decisions or arguments, it often carries a mildly negative connotation of being irrational or unconsidered; when describing a person or moment, it is usually neutral or sympathetic. The phrase "an emotional person" can imply sensitivity or volatility depending on context.
Easily confused with emotional
"Emotive" describes something that tends to arouse emotion in others, while "emotional" describes someone experiencing strong feelings or something connected with the emotions.