affability

American  

[af-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌæf əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

Rarely affableness

noun

1. the quality of being pleasantly easy to approach and talk to; friendliness or warm politeness.

   Her affability and good nature endear her to all those acquainted with her, and put at ease anyone meeting her for the first time.

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Other Word Forms

• unaffableness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of affability

First recorded in 1450–1500; from Middle French affabilité, from Latin affābilitāt-, stem of affābilitās, equivalent to affābil(is) “that can be spoken to, courteous” ( see affable ( def. )) + -itās -ity ( def. )

Explanation

Affability is the quality of being easy to talk to. If you walk into a party smiling and generally seeming up for whatever, your affability will draw people to you. Affability and intelligence will get you far in this world! To be affable is to be friendly and good-natured. The quality itself is called affability. Smiling and making jokes shows affability, and so does being friendly to strangers. Someone who tends to get along with everyone and has many friends has affability. In the Old French, it was affabilité, from the Latin root affabilis, for "approachable, courteous, or kind," and literally means "can be easily spoken to."

Example Sentences

Aeromancy, form of divination, 2284 G. Affability, virtue of, 2143 b; definition, 2421; offices of affability, 2422; sins against affability, 2423.

From Moral Theology A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities by Callan, Charles Jerome

Affability of men already in power, is encrease of Power; because it gaineth love.

From Leviathan by Hobbes, Thomas

And sly Affability, which is not only to be used in common and unconcerning speech, but upon all occasions.

From George Washington's Rules of Civility Traced to their Sources and Restored by Moncure D. Conway by Conway, Moncure Daniel

Affability, that is to say, the desire of pleasing men, which is determined by reason, is related to piety.

From The Philosophy of Spinoza by Ratner, Joseph

Affability, mildness, tenderness, and a word which I would fain bring back to its original signification of virtue,—I mean good-nature,—are of daily use: they are the bread of mankind and staff of life.—Dryden.

From Pearls of Thought by Ballou, Maturin Murray