amicably

American  

[am-i-kuh-blee] / ˈæm ɪ kə bli /

adverb

1. with goodwill; in a friendly or peaceable way.

   Incidents involving naval powers at sea will escalate into full-blown confrontations if not settled amicably.

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Other Word Forms

• unamicably
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of amicably

First recorded in 1400–50; amicab(le) ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

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Explanation

When you do something amicably, you're doing it politely and nicely. It's best to deal with traffic cops and waiters amicably. This word for doing things in a pleasant manner is often used in not so amicable situations. Let's say a couple gets divorced — if they parted amicably, then there wasn't a lot of yelling and screaming, and they both agreed to it. You could say two countries that dislike each other had a meeting of their leaders that was conducted amicably: they were polite and said nice things, even though that's not necessarily how they felt.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

amicably

"The government hopes that all outstanding issues between the two countries will be resolved amicably and will continue consultations with the Ukrainian side to that end."

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

The Afghan Whigs were in official existence until 2001, when they amicably parted ways.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

He wrote to all the directors of the firm in a last-ditch attempt to settle the issue amicably, which led to an agreement they would supply the missing fuel at the previously agreed price.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Greenspan’s marriage was annulled amicably after a year, but his friendship with Rand lasted until her death in 1982.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

He stares at a page, composing the sequence of words that will most amicably end the war.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

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