friendly

play

adjective friend·ly \ˈfren(d)-lē\

Definition of friendly

friendlier

;

friendliest

1 : of, relating to, or befitting a friend: such asa : showing kindly interest and goodwill friendly neighborsb : not hostile a friendly merger offer; also : involving or coming from actions of one's own forces friendly firec : cheerful, comforting the friendly glow of the fire
2 : serving a beneficial or helpful purpose A friendly breeze finally drove the boat into harbor.
3a : easy to use or understand friendly computer software —often used in combination a reader-friendly layoutb : designed or intended to accommodate particular needs, users, etc. —usually used in combination a kid-friendly restaurant … providing a more business-friendly and professional environment … — Matt Miller — see also user-friendly
4 : not causing or likely to cause harm environmentally friendly packaging [=packaging that does not damage the environment] —often used in combination an eco-friendly vehicle

friendlily

play \ˈfren(d)-lə-lē\ adverb

friendliness

noun

See friendly defined for English-language learners

See friendly defined for kids

Examples of friendly in a Sentence

The local people are very friendly to visitors.
It was friendly of him to offer to help us.
His friendly smile was reassuring.
They maintained a friendly correspondence.
A friendly breeze helped us sail the boat into the harbor.

Recent Examples of friendly from the Web

Instead, just stick to the nail caps or the selection of pet-friendly formulas on the market.

— kaleigh fasanella, Teen Vogue, "People Are Getting Matching Manicures With Their Pets and It’s Going Viral on Twitter", 6 July 2017
More: 21 kid-friendly activities in Louisville July 6-12 Concerts Louisville Orchestra.

— taylor m. riley, The Courier-Journal, "Lebowski Fest and everything else to do around Louisville this weekend", 5 July 2017
Kid-friendly museum tour, arts and craft activities, a musical performance and a gallery scavenger hunt from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "South Florida family events: Kids Day at the MLB FanFest, art events, stage shows", 5 July 2017
Water Fun Field Day Water Ninja Warrior Challenge, a sprinkler tug-of-war, water balloons and other family-friendly water games.

— Washington Post, "Alexandria-Arlington community calendar, July 6-13, 2017", 5 July 2017
The real pared gains after news of the arrest, given the prospect of further complications for the government’s market-friendly policies.

— simone preissler iglesias, Bloomberg.com, "Brazil Ex-Minister Arrested, Adding to Pressure on Temer", 3 July 2017
The Miami Backgammon Club is a friendly group of South Florida Backgammon players.

— posted jim varsallone, miamiherald, "Kick It Miami", 2 July 2017
But the two have been reportedly friendly for some time now, even casually texting.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Calvin Harris Apologized for His Post-TSwift Breakup Behavior", 30 June 2017
The family-friendly event features live music and $2 hot dogs and root beer floats.

— courtney ortega, star-telegram.com, "Where to celebrate the Fourth of July in Dallas-Fort Worth", 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'friendly'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of friendly

see ¹friend

NEW!

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of friendly

amicable, neighborly, friendly mean exhibiting goodwill and an absence of antagonism. amicable implies a state of peace and a desire on the part of the parties not to quarrel. maintained amicable relations neighborly implies a disposition to live on good terms with others and to be helpful on principle. neighborly concern friendly stresses cordiality and often warmth or intimacy of personal relations. sought friendly advice

friendly

adverb friend·ly

Definition of friendly

: in a friendly manner : amicably

Origin and Etymology of friendly

see ¹friend

NEW!

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

friendly

noun friend·ly

Definition of friendly

plural

friendlies

1 : one that is friendly; especially : a native who is friendly to settlers or invaders
2 chiefly British : a match between sports teams and especially international teams that has no connection with league or championship play

See friendly defined for English-language learners

Origin and Etymology of friendly

see ¹friend

NEW!

First Known Use: 1836

See Words from the same year

FRIENDLY Defined for English Language Learners

friendly

play

adjective

Definition of friendly for English Language Learners

: acting like a friend : kind and helpful
: having or showing the feelings that friends have for each other
: showing support or approval

friendly

noun

Definition of friendly for English Language Learners

: a game between sports teams that is done for fun and not as part of a regular playing season

FRIENDLY Defined for Kids

friendly

play

adjective friend·ly \ˈfrend-lē\

Definition of friendly for Students

friendlier

;

friendliest

1 : having or showing the kindness and warmth of a friend a friendly neighbor a friendly smile
2 : being other than an enemy
3 : easy or suitable for a kid-friendly restaurant