amicable
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Etymology
From Middle English amicable (“agreeable; pleasant”), from Late Latin amīcābilis (“friendly”). Doublet of amiable.
Pronunciation
Adjective
amicable (comparative more amicable, superlative most amicable)
- Showing friendliness or goodwill.
- They hoped to reach an amicable agreement.
- He was an amicable fellow with an easy smile.
Usage notes
Amicable is particularly used of relationships or agreements (especially legal proceedings, such as divorce), with meaning ranging from simply “not quarrelsome, mutually consenting” to “quite friendly”. By contrast, the similar term amiable is especially used to mean “pleasant, lovable”, such as an “amiable smile”.[1]
Antonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
showing friendliness or goodwill
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References
- The Penguin Wordmaster Dictionary, Martin Manser and Nigel Turton, eds., 1987, cited in “Wordmaster: amiable, amicable”, all songs lead back t' the sea, 23 Oct 2009, by NTWrong
Further reading
- “amicable”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “amicable”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “amicable”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
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