affable

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

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈæf.ə.bəl/

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affable (comparative more affable, superlative most affable)

1. Receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; friendly, courteous, sociable.
   • 1912: James Burrill Angell, The Reminiscences Of James Burrill Angell, chapter ix "Mission To The Ottoman Empire"

     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.

2. Mild; benign.
   • 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): accessible, civil, complaisant, courteous, friendly, gracious, personable
• (mild, benign): benign, mild, warm

• inaffable

• affability
• affableness
• affably

• “affable” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.

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 le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).