To me, love seems to be understood in two ways: as acceptance and/or as caring. Sometimes, the idea of utility (usefulness or productivity) can enter the picture. It’s hard to know, really, since it’s been described in so many ways by people from all walks of life… through all types of media.
Everyone has a different opinion on what love is. What love means to me isn’t the same as what it means to you. Hell, it isn’t even the same as what it meant to me years ago. And that’s just one word—one representation—of a difficult concept. I can think of others: beauty, joy, fulfillment.
I find using words to represent evolving ideas to be both challenging and freeing. On the one hand, it’s quite difficult to be precise enough to ensure everyone understands your meaning exactly. On the other hand, that means it’s nearly guaranteed that someone will find meaning that you couldn’t have foreseen or intended. Let it free you and challenge you.
All words are alive, and they all evolve with every use and misuse. We may as well embrace it.