Love involves a variety of emotional and mental states, usually intense and positive experiences, ranging from the deepest interpersonal relationships to the simplest pleasures. An example of this range of meanings is the difference between mother's love and spouse's love and love for food. Most commonly, love refers to a strong sense of attraction and emotional attachment. Love can also be a virtue representing humanity's kindness, compassion and emotion, that is, "selfless loyalty and benevolence to care for the interests of others.". It may also describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards others, oneself or animals.

Ancient Greek philosophers identified four forms of love: family love (in Greek for store), friendly love (philia), romantic love (EROS) and sacred love (agape). Modern writers further distinguish the various types of love: obsessive love, self love and polite love. Non Western traditions also distinguish between variants or symbionts of these states. Love has other religious or spiritual significance. Compared with other emotional states, this diversity of uses and meanings, coupled with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes it extremely difficult to define love consistently.

Various forms of love are the main promoters of interpersonal relationships. Because of its core psychological importance, it is one of the most common themes in creative arts.

Love can be understood as a function of uniting humans from threats and promoting the continuation of the species.