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

Petlas - A global database of over 100,000 pet-friendly places and services. — Laurren Welch, Country Living, "Everything You Need to Know About Road-Tripping With Your Dog," 31 Jan. 2019 As the earliest wind farms age, repowering is an economic and relatively environmentally-friendly way for owners to continue making money on their investments. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Offshore, Act Two: New owner repowers 20-year-old wind farm off Swedish coast," 30 Dec. 2018 So there are a number of different facets that go into making our trips incredibly sustainable and environmentally friendly. — Bridget Hallinan, Condé Nast Traveler, "Innovators: Leigh Barnes of the Intrepid Group on Being a More Conscious Traveler," 16 Nov. 2018 The foundation in 2014 did spend an average of $12,000 each on 39 homes to replace the deteriorating TimberSIL lumber, which was billed as environmentally friendly, weatherproof and durable, NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reported . — Fox News, "Brad Pitt's foundation facing lawsuit over degradation of New Orleans homes," 30 Aug. 2018 Reef-friendly: Think of Beautycounter’s new Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 as the holy grail of mineral sunscreen — gender-neutral, fast-absorbing and no corpse-like finish — everybody wins, including the kids. — Janna Mandell, SFChronicle.com, "Summer skin-care solutions by microclimate," 12 July 2018 There will also be planned events scheduled during the summer and beyond where volunteers will be providing information on how to secure environmentally-friendly reusable grocery bags and more. — Courant Community, "Community News For The South Windsor Edition," 10 July 2018 So making artificial meat could be much more environmentally friendly—and less cruel to animals, 65bn of which are killed every year for food. — The Economist, "The future of food, served up right here in augmented reality," 7 July 2018 Later, Tall Boy walks Jughead through his Serpent initiation, but their friendly relationship pretty much ends there. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "OK, But Who The Heck is Tall Boy on "Riverdale"?," 24 Jan. 2019

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

But a tough baptism awaits, with friendlies lined up against two teams heading to the World Cup: England on March 23 in Amsterdam, and Portugal three days later. — Jo Biddle-benoit Noel/afp, chicagotribune.com, "Koeman takes on tough job as latest Dutch national coach," 6 Feb. 2018 Just two losses in that hectic schedule of more than 25 matches (not including friendlies). — Cincinnati.com, "Enquirer soccer writers predict 2018 FIFA World Cup winner," 16 June 2018 There are also two friendlies against Chile late in the summer. — Steven Goff, chicagotribune.com, "U.S. women's soccer is one year from the World Cup. It seems closer for coach Jill Ellis.," 12 July 2018 The ongoing training camp will last until 22nd July, during which time there will be friendlies against Swiss sides Lugano and Sion. — SI.com, "Inter Officially Unveil Kwadwo Asamoah Following Free Transfer From Juventus," 10 July 2018 Portland Thorns midfielders Tobin Heath and Lindsey Horan and defender Midge Purce have been called up to the U.S. Women's National Team for friendlies against China on June 7 and June 12. — Jamie Goldberg, OregonLive.com, "Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Midge Purce called up to U.S. Women's National Team," 30 May 2018 Judging by their recent friendlies, the Russian defense will have a lot of trouble stopping two the most accurate strikers: Barcelona’s Luis Suarez and Liverpool’s Salah. — José Luis Sánchez Pando, chicagotribune.com, "2018 World Cup Group A preview: Watch out for 'The Pharaohs'," 22 May 2018 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

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.