amiability

amiable (ˈeɪmɪəb^əl)

—*adj*
	having or displaying a pleasant or agreeable nature; friendly

[C14: from Old French, from Late Latin amīcābilisamicable]

amia'bility

—n

'amiableness

—n

'amiably

—*adv*

amiable (ˈeɪmɪəb^əl)

—*adj*
	having or displaying a pleasant or agreeable nature; friendly

[C14: from Old French, from Late Latin amīcābilisamicable]

amia'bility

—n

'amiableness

—n

'amiably

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

amiable

mid-14c., from O.Fr. amiable, from L.L. amicabilis "friendly," from amicus "friend," related to amare "to love" (see Amy). The form confused in O.Fr. with amable "lovable," from L. amare. Reborrowed later in proper L. form as amicable.

Example sentences

The couple were noted for their amiability, intelligence and good looks.

The right to keep dogs under these conditions is not limited to people who meet your standards of amiability.

Both surveys address everything from employee demeanor to facility amiability.

His impeccable appearance belied his amiability--and his humble background.

Upgrade to Ad-free Premium Membership!

Related Words

amiable civility good nature

good nature sweetness and light

Matching Quote

"I suppose the fact is that no friendship can stand the breakfast test.... Civilisation has done away with curl-papers, yet at that hour the soul of the Hausfrau is as tightly screwed up in them as was ever her grandmother's hair, and though my body comes down mechanically, having been trained that way by punctual parents, my soul never thinks of beginning to wake up for other people till lunch-time, and never does so completely till it has been taken out of doors and aired in the sunshine. Who can begin conventional amiability the first thing in the morning? It is the hour of savage instincts and natural tendencies; it is the triumph of the Disagreeable and the Cross. I am convinced that the Muses and the Graces never thought of having breakfast anywhere but in bed."

-Mary A. Arnim