Wiktionary

amiable

English

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WOTD – 6 December 2011

Etymology

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From Middle English amyable, from Old French amiable, from Late Latin amīcābilis (“friendly”), from Latin amīcus (“friend”), from amō (“love”, verb). The meaning has been influenced by French amiable and Latin amābilis (“loveable”) (whence English aimable and amable). Doublet of amicable. Compare with amorous, amability.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈeɪ.mi.ə.bəl/, /ˈæ.mi.ə.bəl/
  • Audio (General Australian):(file)

Adjective

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amiable (comparative more amiable, superlative most amiable)

  1. Friendly; kind; sweet; gracious
    an amiable temper
    amiable ideas
    • 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, V.i:
      The sums I have lent him! indeed—I have been exceedingly to blame—it was an amiable weakness!
    • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter III, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
      A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe.
  2. Of a pleasant and likeable nature; kind-hearted; easy to like
    an amiable person
    • c. 1521, John Skelton, Speke Parott:
      My deyſy delectabyll
      My prymerose commendabyll
      My vyolet amyabyll
      My ioye in explicabill
      Nowe torne agayne to me
    • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter III, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
      A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe.

Usage notes

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Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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From Old French amiable, from Late Latin amīcābilis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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amiable (plural amiables)

  1. amiable

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Old French

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Etymology

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From Late Latin amīcābilis (“friendly”), from Latin amīcus (“friend”), from amō (“I love”).

Adjective

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amiable m (oblique and nominative feminine singular amiable)

  1. likable; amiable

Descendants

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  • Middle French: amyable
  • Middle English: amyable, amiable
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