When you do something affectionately, you show in a gentle way that you love someone and care about them. You can smile affectionately, speak affectionately, or ruffle a child's hair affectionately. The feeling inside is fondness, not just good manners: a shop assistant can be polite without being affectionate. People use it for family, partners, close friends, and often for pets. Though actually, speakers also stretch it a little — a warm, familiar tone toward a neighbour or an old teacher may get the word even when it is not quite love. It is slightly more at home in writing and careful speech than in quick chat; younger people still understand it at once, they just reach for lovingly, or they show the feeling and do not name it.