affable

[ af-uh-buh l ]

/ ˈæf ə bəl /

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.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

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 forms

af·fa·bil·i·ty, af·fa·ble·ness, nounaf·fa·bly, adverbun·af·fa·ble, adjectiveun·af·fa·ble·ness, noun

un·af·fa·bly, adverb

Synonym study

1. See civil.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
"You may read if you like," Laurie affably suggested, when this had been suppressed.
The Girl in the Mirror|Elizabeth Garver Jordan
She then slipped from the room, and was affably received below, and taken into the apartment which they had first entered.
Audrey|Mary Johnston

They went out to the middle of Minetta Street to affably fight it out and determine the justice of the question.
Last Words|Stephen Crane
“Not by no means,” acquiesced Mr. Weller, affably but magisterially.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
"That's a mighty fine watch you've got there," he remarked, affably.
The Deserter, and Other Stories|Harold Frederic

British Dictionary definitions for affably

affable

/ (ˈæfəbəl) /

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.