An adjective meaning deeply longed for or earnestly desired — the object of intense yearning. Used by Paul to describe the Philippian believers, whom he calls his 'joy and crown' and his deeply longed for ones.
Philippians 4:1 — 'Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, my beloved' — piles up terms of affection, with epipothētos ('longed for') at the center. Paul is a man in chains writing to friends he may never see again, and his longing is palpable. The word belongs to the same family as ache, yearning, homesickness — the feeling of pressing toward something precious at a distance. It appears also in Paul's longing to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). The Christian life is shaped by two great longings: for beloved people and for the presence of the Lord. Both are epipothētos — deeply, painfully, joyfully desired.