affable

[af-uh-buh l]

See more synonyms for affable on Thesaurus.com

adjective

pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite: an affable and courteous gentleman.
showing warmth and friendliness; benign; pleasant: an affable smile.

Origin of affable

1530–40; < Latin affābilis that can be spoken to, courteous, equivalent to af- af- + fā- speak (see fate) + -bilis -ble, perhaps via Middle French

Related formsaf·fa·bil·i·ty, af·fa·ble·ness, nounaf·fa·bly, adverbun·af·fa·ble, adjectiveun·af·fa·ble·ness, nounun·af·fa·bly, adverb

Synonym study

1. See civil.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for affably

kindly, cordially, gently, respectfully, graciously, amiably, attentively, tactfully, politely, courteously, obligingly, affably, agreeably, gracefully, benignantly, civilly, compassionately, concernedly, considerately, elegantly

Examples from the Web for affably

Contemporary Examples of affably

They ranged from yoga teacher-toned to affably soft around the edges.
Naked on a New York Street—for Art
Emily Shire
September 16, 2014
Its affably glib opening lines set the tone while acknowledging the First-World-problems aspect to the text.
Must-Reads: ‘The Last Nude,’ ‘Arrows of the Night,’ and ‘The Fallback Plan’
Bruce Riedel, Lauren Elkin, Drew Nellins
January 24, 2012

Historical Examples of affably

"I am sorry we are going to part, gentlemen," he said, affably.
Australia Revenged
Boomerang
“I am glad that you have a friend in him,” said Mrs. Winthrop affably.
David Dunne
Belle Kanaris Maniates
"Do not be shy of me, monsieur," she encouraged him affably.
Fort Amity
Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
"Perfectly all right, Mr. Oak," the blond young man said affably.
A Spaceship Named McGuire
Gordon Randall Garrett
The lady stared at him steadfastly and smiled to him affably and serenely.
Foma Gordyeff
Maxim Gorky

British Dictionary definitions for affably

affable

adjective

showing warmth and friendliness; kindly; mild; benign
easy to converse with; approachable; amicable

Derived Formsaffability, nounaffably, adverb

Word Origin for affable

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for affably

affable

adj.

late 15c., from Old French afable (14c.), from Latin affabilis "approachable, courteous, kind, friendly," literally "who can be (easily) spoken to," from affari "to speak to," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + fari "to speak" (see fame (n.)). Related: Affably.