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Amicable comes from Latin amīcābilis, meaning "friendly," and amāre, "to feel affection for" or "to love." Amāre has a number of English descendants, including amiable ("friendly, sociable, and congenial"), amorous ("strongly moved by love and especially sexual love"), and amateur, which, though it might seem surprising, is related to amāre by way of the Latin amātor, which means "lover" as well as "enthusiastic admirer" and "devotee."
Examples of amicable in a Sentence
About a million couples divorce each year in the United States, and most, like my ex and me, start out striving to keep the split amicable. And though you may have good intentions, things can go awry during the traditional I-win-you-lose adversarial process.
—
Annie Finnigan, Family Circle, 17 Oct. 2008
Instead, with the help of a neighborhood activist, Rob struck out in another direction. He retook his old turf from the dealers who had replaced him and opened a fruit stand and, later, a hot-dog concession. Bright, amicable and assured, Rob so impressed Anderson that the sociologist hired him as a part-time assistant.
—Ellis Cose, Newsweek, 30 Aug. 1999
Cops such as William Anderson and Lowell Powell had been Sonny's friends. "I was a policeman and he was something of a thug," Powell recalled, but nonetheless their dealings were amicable. In the big picture, however, there was no love lost between Sonny and the cops.
—Nick Tosches, Vanity Fair, February 1998
They reached an amicable agreement.
the contract negotiations between the hotel workers and management were reasonably amicable
Annie Finnigan, Family Circle, 17 Oct. 2008
Instead, with the help of a neighborhood activist, Rob struck out in another direction. He retook his old turf from the dealers who had replaced him and opened a fruit stand and, later, a hot-dog concession. Bright, amicable and assured, Rob so impressed Anderson that the sociologist hired him as a part-time assistant.
—Ellis Cose, Newsweek, 30 Aug. 1999
Cops such as William Anderson and Lowell Powell had been Sonny's friends. "I was a policeman and he was something of a thug," Powell recalled, but nonetheless their dealings were amicable. In the big picture, however, there was no love lost between Sonny and the cops.
—Nick Tosches, Vanity Fair, February 1998
They reached an amicable agreement.
the contract negotiations between the hotel workers and management were reasonably amicable
Recent Examples on the Web
Penn insists his departure two seasons later, while unexpected by many fans, was amicable.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Acknowledging that many family law issues find more amicable resolutions outside the courtroom, the firm provides mediation and arbitration services.
—Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
The situation seemed amicable, but the next morning, things took a sharp and unexpected turn.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
No one’s parents refused to show up out of spite, no one’s brother started a fight with the groom, and even the couple who did not get married ended on an amicable note.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for amicable
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Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Acknowledging that many family law issues find more amicable resolutions outside the courtroom, the firm provides mediation and arbitration services.
—Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
The situation seemed amicable, but the next morning, things took a sharp and unexpected turn.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
No one’s parents refused to show up out of spite, no one’s brother started a fight with the groom, and even the couple who did not get married ended on an amicable note.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for amicable
Cite this Entry
“Amicable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amicable. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
amicable
adjective
am·i·ca·ble
ˈam-i-kə-bəl 
: showing kindness or goodwill : peaceable
neighbors maintaining amicable relations
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