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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
Initially their split seemed amicable, but later both stars were granted restraining orders amid claims of domestic violence and a battle for custody of Halo.
—Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Batula and Wilson have also unfollowed the 30-year-old nurse, signifying a less-than-amicable friendship split.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Apr. 2026
With Archer’s amicable exit, the Princess of Wales is eager for the focus to be on her work rather than her outfits.
—Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 Mar. 2026
The decision to bring the KMT leader to Beijing ahead of the summit presents an opportunity for Xi to showcase an alternative Taiwanese school of politics that is more amicable to cross-strait dialogue.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amicable
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Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Batula and Wilson have also unfollowed the 30-year-old nurse, signifying a less-than-amicable friendship split.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Apr. 2026
With Archer’s amicable exit, the Princess of Wales is eager for the focus to be on her work rather than her outfits.
—Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 Mar. 2026
The decision to bring the KMT leader to Beijing ahead of the summit presents an opportunity for Xi to showcase an alternative Taiwanese school of politics that is more amicable to cross-strait dialogue.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amicable
Cite this Entry
“Amicable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amicable. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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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