Meaning & use
amicable
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Marked by goodwill, with no anger or bitterness between the people involved.
Grammar: Usually describes a settlement, split or relationship: an amicable divorce.
Patterns
- amicable settlement
- amicable relationship
The two companies reached an amicable agreement.
They had an amicable divorce.
The meeting was amicable.
Word forms
| comparative | more amicable |
|---|---|
| superlative | most amicable |
Common combinations
- amicable settlement
- An amicable settlement was reached.
- amicable split
- An amicable split.
- amicable relationship
- An amicable relationship.
- remain amicable
- They remained amicable.
- amicably
- They parted amicably.
Synonyms and how they differ
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: amicable or amiable?
amicable vs amiable
Amiable describes a pleasant person; amicable describes relations or agreements.
Practice
The neighbors settled the fence dispute in an ___ way.
Choose one answer.
Amicable describes friendly agreements; amiable describes people.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “amicable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.