amicable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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” ( see -able); cf. 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
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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.
The couple separated "quietly" and in an "amicable" manner several months ago, a source told US magazine People.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Although Google’s TPUs have posed the biggest challenge to Nvidia’s AI processor dominance so far, the rivalry is still a largely amicable one.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
No one knows which course Syria under Ahmed al-Sharaa will choose, but for the first time in a half-century its government appears to want amicable relations with the U.S. and Israel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Navigating a separation is hard no matter how amicable the breakup is.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026
He was always amicable when Dyedka slipped it on him, but she hadn’t ever tried to do it herself.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
