friendly

adjective

friend·ly | \ˈfren(d)-lē

friendlier; friendliest

Definition of friendly

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : of, relating to, or befitting a friend: such as

a : showing kindly interest and goodwill friendly neighbors

b : not hostile a friendly merger offer also : involving or coming from actions of one's own forces friendly fire

c : 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 layout

b : 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

friendly

adverb

Definition of friendly (Entry 2 of 3)

: in a friendly manner : amicably

friendly

noun

plural friendlies

Definition of friendly (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from friendly Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about friendly

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Choose the Right Synonym for friendly

Adjective

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

Examples of friendly in a Sentence

Adjective

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 on the Web: Adjective

Having two kinder, gentler, less privacy-invasive, less troll-friendly alternatives would be good for the public. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "Columbia Law professor Tim Wu lays it out in his new book The Curse of Bigness.," 8 Nov. 2018 Red Dead Redemption 2, a Western that takes place in 1899, allows players to talk to every character, allowing both friendly and aggressive options, depending on the player’s mood. — Patricia Hernandez, The Verge, "YouTube reverses ban for streamer who killed Red Dead 2 feminist," 8 Nov. 2018 Made from the thousands of surplus containers that sit on docks around the world, these homes can be an eco-friendly alternative to traditional materials. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "This new Starbucks is made from 29 shipping containers," 8 Oct. 2018 Natural gas production is growing and many big oil companies have held the fuel up as a climate-friendly alternative to coal that can help make the oil-and-gas sector more resilient in efforts to limit climate change. — Sarah Kent, WSJ, "Oil Majors Pledge to Cut Methane Emissions," 24 Sep. 2018 Up in the northeast corner of the country, Portland bills itself as a pup-friendly city. — Jessica Migala, Good Housekeeping, "The Best Dog-Friendly Road Trips in the U.S.," 26 July 2018 Multicultural and immigrant-friendly Toronto has been a film and television hub for decades, a position enhanced by the influential Toronto International Film Festival. — Erik Heinrich, latimes.com, "Toronto has been a film and TV hub for decades. Now Guillermo del Toro may give the Canadian city an edge," 12 July 2018 Patients consistently report her staff as being attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. — Karlie Brand, sandiegouniontribune.com, "8 reasons you’ll wish this dentist was yours," 11 July 2018 Huddersfield manager David Wagner has praised his side's performance during their pre-season friendly against Bury FC, and also revealed the extent of the injuries suffered by new signings Juninho Bacuna and Terence Kongolo. — SI.com, "David Wagner Gives Update on Injuries to New Signings After Huddersfield's Pre-Season Victory," 11 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Saturday’s StubHub Center friendly between Manchester United and the Galaxy couldn’t come at a better time for the visitors — or at a worse time for the home team. — Kevin Baxter, latimes.com, "Galaxy's matchup vs. Manchester United comes at inopportune time," 14 July 2017 The defensive devices manufactured by Mace are user-friendly, priced reasonably, and set the industry standard for quality and innovation. — Janet H. Cho, cleveland.com, "Mace pepper sprays offer potent protection made in Cleveland (photos, video)," 28 May 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

That shows that some European soccer fans have been slow to fall in love with the new Nations League format, though the old friendlies weren’t always crowd pleasers. — James Ellingworth, The Seattle Times, "UEFA Nations League a hit as positivity replaces skepticism," 21 Nov. 2018 City will begin their programme of pre-season friendlies in the United States later this month, with the first in just 11 days' time as Guardiola's team face Borussia Dortmund in Chicago. — SI.com, "Man City Begin Pre-Season Training Ahead of 2018/19 - Although Most of Squad Remains Absent," 9 July 2018 Trent Sainsbury and Matt Jurman missed the recent friendlies but are expected to play central roles in Russia. — John Pye, chicagotribune.com, "World Cup Countdown: Van Marwijk, veteran Cahill lead Australia in fourth straight appearance," 22 May 2018 Though these results include some pre-tournament friendlies, confidence is bound to be dented heading into the Taegeuk Warriors most important game of the tournament. — SI.com, "World Cup Preview: South Korea vs Mexico - Classic Encounter, Team News, Predictions & More," 22 June 2018 Chelsea started pre-season training earlier this month, led by Conte, and face upcoming friendlies against Inter, Arsenal and Lyon before playing the Community Shield curtain raiser against Premier League champions Manchester City on 5th August. — SI.com, "Chelsea Officially Sack Antonio Conte Ahead of Announcing Maurizio Sarri Appointment," 13 July 2018 Ward, who is said to have returned to Melwood in good shape and has been described as 'outstanding' in training and friendlies so far, is apparently getting the 'time and space' from Klopp to make his case and take the starting job for himself. — SI.com, "Jurgen Klopp Turns to Surprise Contender as He Looks for New Liverpool Number One Goalkeeper," 13 July 2018 South Korea has lost four of its last six matches, which includes friendlies. — Jenna Fryer, chicagotribune.com, "Germany under pressure to win against Sweden," 22 June 2018 Yotún started in Peru’s recent friendlies against Scotland and Saudi Arabia and played a full 90 minutes in the latter. — Jordan Culver, Pro Soccer USA, "Attacking midfielder Jose Villarreal gets first match minutes for Orlando City," 4 June 2018

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.