Persons one loves or is close to, members of one’s family. For dysfunctional families where members actively dislike one another, the term is either a misnomer or used sarcastically. Nevertheless, it is frequently used by persons ignorant of a family’s relationship and, often, by funeral directors and charitable organizations asking one to make a donation in memory of one’s loved ones. Thus, “Donate to the American Cancer Society in memory of a loved one.” British novelist Evelyn Waugh entitled his satire on California funeral rites The Loved One (1948).