affable

[af-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite.

   an affable and courteous gentleman.

   Synonyms: sociable, gracious, genial, approachable, amiable, accessible
   Antonyms: standoffish, distant, inaccessible, unapproachable, unsociable, unfriendly

2. showing warmth and friendliness; benign; pleasant.

   an affable smile.

affable

/ ˈæfəbəl /

adjective

1. showing warmth and friendliness; kindly; mild; benign

2. easy to converse with; approachable; amicable

Other Word Forms

• affably adverb
• affability noun
• affableness noun
• unaffable adjective
• unaffably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of affable¹

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin affābilis “that can be spoken to, courteous,” equivalent to af- af- + fā- “speak” ( fate ) + -bilis -ble, perhaps via Middle French

Word History and Origins

Origin of affable¹

C16: from Latin affābilis easy to talk to, from affārī to talk to, from ad- to + fāri to speak; compare _fable , _fate

Synonym Study

See civil.

Example Sentences

Diane Keaton’s combination of beauty and kookiness won the actress her only Oscar, but the job was easy: She said the title role in “Annie Hall” was “an affable version of myself.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

With an affable exuberance, Safdie has something of the gregarious showman about him.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The picture about two affable bandits who have outlived their time became the highest-grossing Western in motion picture history and highlighted the duo’s near-perfect comic timing.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She’s presenting herself as a sweet, affable wife whose ability to make small talk with important people offers a useful moderating force on her snarling bully of a husband.

Read more on Salon

If he was the father of Minimalism — or, more accurately, the affable uncle — he presented “In C” as a gift to the world, rather than a plan for action.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• amiable 
• approachable 
• courteous 
• genial 
• gentle 
• good-humored 
• good-natured 
• gracious 
• pleasant 
• polite 
• sociable 
• urbane