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An '''intimate''' relationship is a particularly close personal relationship, one in which the participants know or trust one another very well and are confidants of one another. In romantic [[love]] such closeness is characterized by physical attachment and sexual activity.
==Physical and emotional intimacy==
[[Love]] is the central focus in truly intimate relationships. Though love evades definition, thoughtful [[inquiry]] shows it to be qualitatively, not only quantitatively different than [[liking]], and the difference is not merely in the [[presence]] or absence of [[sexual attraction]]. According to one [[analysis]], love in relationships is divided into two types: passionate and companionate. Passionate love is intense longing, and is often accompanied by physiologic arousal, (shortness of breath, rapid heart rate & sexual impulses). Companionate love is affection and a feeling of intimacy not necessarily accompanied by physiologic arousal.
People that are intimate with one another often feel as if they are a 'couple', especially if they have ascribed some degree of permanency to their relationship. Such partnerships often provide the emotional security that is necessary for them to accomplish many forms of work.
[[Category: General Reference]]
[[Category: Psychology]]
[[Category: Religion]]