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

Iván Duque, a business-friendly pragmatist who pledged to impose harsher terms on the former rebels, defeated Gustavo Petro, who supported the peace agreement. — James Stavridis, Time, "Democracy Isn't Perfect, But It Will Still Prevail," 12 July 2018 She is considered part of the more business-friendly faction of the party. — Janie Har, USA TODAY, "London Breed to be sworn in as San Francisco's first black female mayor," 11 July 2018 For the third time in its history, the Milwaukee Brewers’ ballpark will host a soccer match, this one a friendly between C.F. Pachuca and Club Leon. — Ben Steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mexican clubs will play third soccer match at Miller Park. Here are 5 things to know.," 10 July 2018 The sophisticated, business-friendly look included a deep green top, Givenchy pencil skirt, and tan Strathberry tote bag. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Wears a Sleeveless Little Black Dress for Her Third Outfit of the Day," 10 July 2018 Mulvaney has promised to bring a more business-friendly approach to the bureau’s enforcement activities in the financial arena. — Kenneth R. Harney, courant.com, "CFPB Shifts Gears On Policing Zillow's Co-Marketing Schemes," 5 July 2018 What other city in the U.S. could draw almost 50,000 fans to a March friendly match between Peru and Croatia? — Greg Cote, miamiherald, "Why Beckham group's pitch for MLS Miami is so perfect, and also so right for the times," 28 June 2018 Bloomberg’s latest poll-tracker puts him at 46 percent, about 20 points clear of business-friendly candidates Ricardo Anaya, who heads a left-right coalition, and Jose Antonio Meade from the ruling PRI party. — Eric Martin, Bloomberg.com, "Mexico’s Populist Tide Pushes AMLO Toward a Blowout Victory," 27 June 2018 Ohsman tried — not always successfully — to remain neutral on the question of whether the cafe was a Hawkeyes or Cyclones institution, but it was filled with college sports memorabilia and a friendly, no-nonsense staff to match its homey fare. — Dominic Armato, azcentral, "The Iowa Cafe in Mesa has closed after 33 years. But will it return?," 22 June 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

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 That was the last competitive match between the two countries but there have been eight international friendlies since. — Jerome Pugmire, baltimoresun.com, "France vs. Belgium: What you need to know for Tuesday's World Cup semifinal," 9 July 2018 Iran has lost two of its last five friendlies and in four previous World Cup tournaments has never gotten past the first round, winning just one game. — Kevin Baxter, latimes.com, "World Cup: Egypt-Uruguay, Morocco-Iran, Portugal-Spain matches ready to kick off Friday," 13 June 2018 On the field, the national team immediately began overhauling its roster, calling in younger players for its slate of 2018 friendlies. — Jamie Goldberg, OregonLive.com, "As World Cup takes center stage, US Soccer must put failure aside and find a path forward," 11 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.