Difference Between Amiable and Amicable

Amiable vs Amicable

English and grammar is one of the subjects that we have to study in school. We were taught about language and how to use words properly. The tests would cover everything and require us to compose an essay about a subject that is important to us.

In the process, a lot of things are learned including the proper choice of words in writing or when speaking. Choosing the right word to convey what you mean can be hard sometimes especially when a lot of them sound alike and are spelled almost the same. Sometimes just a letter added or with one word having a vowel which is different from the other word can make all the difference.

What is needed then is for one to be able to distinguish the meaning of one word from another. It can be tricky since the English language is full of words that are similar either in sound, spelling, or meaning.

The words ‘amicable’ and ‘amiable’ are almost spelled the same with the letter ‘c’ added to amiable. They are two different words, though, and they convey different meanings. Although the letters used in both are almost identical, their meanings are very distinct from each other.

Amiable

‘Amiable’ is a word or, to be more specific, it is an adjective that is used to describe a person. It refers to someone who is friendly and pleasant, a person with a good-natured personality.

An amiable person is one who is sociable and agreeable; one who is willing to accept the decisions and suggestions of other people easily. He or she is usually a very lovable person. In short, amiable is a positive trait that one sees in a person.

Amicable

‘Amicable’ is an adjective that is used to describe an incident or situation. It comes from the Latin word that means friendly, meaning there is no feeling of antagonism between the parties involved.

It is characterized by a show of goodwill between two parties who have disagreed and have decided to finally agree on something. It is used to describe a peaceful solution to a misunderstanding or a disagreement.

Examples:

� The dispute was finally resolved with both parties agreeing to an amicable settlement.
� Although both of them are amiable people, their divorce was not an amicable one.
� What draws people towards her is her amiable and interesting personality. She has a way in making two opposing parties agree amicably on things.

Both ‘amiable’ and ‘amicable’ are positive words that are used for describing people and incidents. While ‘amicable’ may be used to also describe a person, it is important to be careful on how it is used in the sentence.

It is awkward to use ‘amiable’ to describe an incident, though, and it must only be used to describe a person’s character and personality.

Summary:

1. ‘Amiable’ is an adjective that is used to describe a person or persons while ‘amicable’ is an adjective that is used to describe an incident or the relations between people.
2. ‘Amiable’ is used to describe a trait while ‘amicable’ is used to describe a situation.

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