amicable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- amicability noun
- amicableness noun
- amicably adverb
- unamicability noun
- unamicable adjective
- unamicableness noun
Etymology
Origin of amicable
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin amīcābilis, equivalent to amīc(us) “friend, friendly” + -ābilis adjective suffix meaning “capable of, tending to” ( -able ); amiable
Explanation
The adjective amicable means "friendly" — but in particular, use it when describing relations one might otherwise expect to be unfriendly. The end of a romantic relationship that's less than amicable might involve broken dishes or broken bones. Amicable, not surprisingly, comes from the Latin word for "friend," amicus. Perhaps the things most commonly described as amicable are divorces. The parties in a divorce often tend to be so childish and the proceedings so messy that it's nice to have a word that reflects the absence of those qualities. Other nouns that commonly pair with amicable include relationship, split, parting, solution, and breakup.
Vocabulary lists containing amicable
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Navigating a separation is hard no matter how amicable the breakup is.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026
Embassy in Paris said that later on Tuesday Kushner and Barrot had a “frank and amicable call, reaffirming their shared commitment to working together, along with all other ministers and French officials.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
"The parties are pleased to have reached an amicable resolution of this dispute," the Social Media Victims Law Center said, noting that the terms of the settlement with TikTok are confidential.
From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026
But the first meeting between the future mayor and the president last November proved much more amicable than expected.
From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026
Aside from our complaints about the late-night welding, our families are generally amicable, but there’s always been a sense of polite tension when my parents deal with them.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
