affable

English

WOTD – 4 January 2009

French affable, Latin affābilis, from affor (“I address”), from ad + for (“speak, talk”). See fable.

affable (comparative more affable, superlative most affable)

Receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; friendly, courteous, sociable.
Synonyms: accessible, civil, complaisant, courteous, friendly, gracious, personable
- 1912, James Burrill Angell, “chapter ix Mission To The Ottoman Empire”, in The Reminiscences Of James Burrill Angell:
  Furthermore, I may say, that the Sultan was always most affable to me in my interviews with him, even when I had to discuss some missionary questions. In fact, I never saw any traces of the difficulties which Mr. Terrell reported.
- 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “Chief White Halfoat”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 45:
  […] He stood bolt upright instead with his stumpy arms resting comfortably on the backsof the pilot's and co-pilot's seats, pipe in hand, making affable small talk to McWatt and whoever happened to be co-pilot and pointing out amusing trivia in the sky to the two men, who were too busy to be interested.
Mild; benign.
Synonyms: benign, mild, warm
- 1998, Alexia Maria Kosmider, Tricky Tribal Discourse, page 84:
  During more affable weather, the four friends congregate outside, sometimes leaning their hickory chairs against a "catapa" tree […]

friendly, courteous, sociable

mild; benign

affable (plural affables)