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• amity
  amity

  noun

  friendship; peaceful harmony.
• Amity
  Amity

  noun

  a first name.

amity

¹ American  

[am-i-tee] / ˈæm ɪ ti /

noun

1. friendship; peaceful harmony.

2. mutual understanding and a peaceful relationship, especially between nations; peace; accord.

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Amity ² American  

[am-i-tee] / ˈæm ɪ ti /

noun

1. a first name.

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amity British  

/ ˈæmɪtɪ /

noun

1. friendship; cordiality

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Etymology

Origin of amity

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English amit(i)e, from Middle French amitie, Old French amiste(t), from unattested Vulgar Latin amicitāt-, stem of amīcitās, derivative of Latin amīcus; see ami, amiable, -ity

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Explanation

The word amity refers to a peaceful, friendly nature, much like the French word ami, or "friend." From the Latin amicus, "friend," amity means "friendly relations." That strong sense of friendship lends irony to the name of the book, and later the movie, called The Amityville Horror, about a horrifying town with a weirdly cheerful name. In truth, though, amity means "mutual understanding and peace." Wouldn't it be nice if all of the world's nations lived in amity?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

amity Amity

Frederick actively pursued a treaty of amity and commerce with the new American republic, an important step toward broader recognition of the United States.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

"Together, we must foil all schemes to disrupt or undermine our bonds of amity and trust," Xi wrote in a signed article for Russian media.

From BBC ● May 9, 2025

Wickremesinghe has since cracked down on protests and sought amity among political parties, saying only an all-party government can solve the country’s problems.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2022

He lamented the fading of such cross-party amity.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 11, 2021

I yet lingered half-an-hour longer, hoping to see some sign of amity: but she gave none.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

CJ Reim, whose venture firm Amity Ventures backed Isara, described the approach as coordinating “swarms of specialists” to perform research for users.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

Bond is the head of the Amity Foundation, which runs this facility in partnership with CDCR, and is the co-chair of the advisory committee charged with reimagining San Quentin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2023

"No one wants a shark attack to occur, but these bans are just creating the same fear as generated on the ill-fated Amity Island in Jaws. It's just not the right way to go."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2023

In the case it took to the Hague-based International Court of Justice, Iran argued the asset freeze was a breach of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, which promised friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 30, 2023

The Erudite dormitory is one of the larger sleeping rooms in Amity headquarters.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

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