affable

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

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈæf.ə.bəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

affable (comparative more affable, superlative most affable)

1. 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.

2. 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 […]

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “affable”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Borrowed from Latin affābilis.

• IPA^(key): /a.fabl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -abl
• Homophone: affables

affable (plural affables)

1. affable, amicable, sociable

• affablement
• affabuler
• affabilité

• “affable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.