Valuable or dearly beloved (8)

I believe the answer is:

precious

I believe this is a double definition.

'valuable' is the first definition.
(similar in meaning)

'dearly beloved' is the second definition.
(thesaurus)

(Other definitions for precious that I've seen before include "Of high worth or cost" , "Cherished or valuable" , "costly" , "Very dear" , "Cherished or of high worth" .)

I've seen this clue in the Irish Times (Simplex) and The Irish Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.