peaceable

American  

[pee-suh-buhl] / ˈpi sə bəl /

adjective

1. inclined or disposed to avoid strife or dissension; not argumentative or hostile: a peaceable disposition.

   a peaceable person;

   a peaceable disposition.

   Synonyms:

   pacifist, friendly, amicable

   Antonyms:

   hostile, quarrelsome

2. peaceful; tranquil.

   in peaceable periods;

   a peaceable adjustment of a dispute.

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peaceable British  

/ ˈpiːsəbəl /

adjective

1. inclined towards peace

2. tranquil; calm

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Other Word Forms

• peaceableness noun
• peaceably adverb
• unpeaceable adjective
• unpeaceably adverb

Etymology

Origin of peaceable

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pesible, from Middle French paisible; peace, -able

Example Sentences

Military comedies have a long and relatively peaceable history on screens small and large — Fred Astaire, Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello, Martin and Lewis and Bill Murray all made them.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2024

She is adopted by animals who have formed a peaceable kingdom in a city that humans have left behind.

From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2023

The judge said Jenkins was a "peaceable man" of "excellent character" who tended to avoid confrontation but on Christmas night wanted to get Mr Birch away from his family "knowing what he was capable of".

From BBC • Jul. 17, 2023

Black activist Brittany Martin was, for instance, convicted in 2022 of "breaching the peace" for shouting in officers' faces during a peaceable assembly in Sumter, South Carolina, in 2020.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2023

Another 37,380 visitors had entered using passes, bringing the total admission for the day to 751,026, more people than had attended any single day of any peaceable event in history.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson