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

Etymology

Origin of amicably

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

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

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

"The victim and the victim's parents expressed their intention to resolve the matter amicably," he explained.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

The companies said Wednesday they amicably ended the relationship.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

When Simpson and Johnson first announced their split, the musician insisted that their kids were their main priority—vowing that they would continue to co-parent as amicably as possible.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

Marina Gamba decided to remain in Padua, where she had lived all her life, and the couple split, it seems amicably.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin