friendly

[ frend-lee ]
See synonyms for: friendlyfriendlierfriendliness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,friend·li·er, friend·li·est.
  1. characteristic of or befitting a friend; showing friendship: a friendly greeting.

  2. like a friend; kind; helpful: a little friendly advice.

  1. favorably disposed; inclined to approve, help, or support: a friendly bank.

  2. not hostile or at variance; amicable: a friendly warship;friendly natives.

  3. easy to use, operate, understand, etc. (usually used in combination): a consumer-friendly instruction manual;a friendly food processor.

  4. able to coexist with something without harm or trouble (usually used in combination): environmentally friendly building materials;a child-friendly restaurant.

adverb
  1. Also friend·li·ly . in a friendly manner; like a friend.

noun,plural friend·lies.
  1. a person who is in sympathetic relationship to oneself or one's side; an ally or supporter.

Origin of friendly

1
First recorded before 900; friend + -ly

Other words for friendly

Opposites for friendly

Other words from friendly

  • friend·li·ness, noun
  • pre·friend·ly, adjective

Words Nearby friendly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use friendly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for friendly (1 of 2)

friendly

/ (ˈfrɛndlɪ) /


adjective-lier or -liest
  1. showing or expressing liking, goodwill, or trust: a friendly smile

  2. on the same side; not hostile

  1. tending or disposed to help or support; favourable: a friendly breeze helped them escape

nounplural -lies
  1. Also called: friendly match sport a match played for its own sake, and not as part of a competition, etc

Derived forms of friendly

  • friendlily, adverb
  • friendliness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for -friendly (2 of 2)

-friendly

adj combining form
  1. helpful, easy, or good for the person or thing specified: ozone-friendly

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