different between amiable vs understanding

English

Etymology

From Middle English amyable, from Old French amiable, from Late Latin am?c?bilis (“friendly”), from Latin am?cus (“friend”), from am? (“I love”). The meaning has been influenced by French amiable and Latin am?bilis (“loveable”). Compare with amicable, amorous, amability.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?e?.mi.?.b?l/, /?æ.mi.?.b?l/

Adjective

amiable (comparative more amiable, superlative most amiable)

1. Friendly; kind; sweet; gracious

   • A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe.

2. Of a pleasant and likeable nature; kind-hearted; easy to like
   • c. 1521, John Skelton, “Speke Parott”:

     My dey?y delectabyll
     My prymerose commendabyll
     My vyolet amyabyll
     My ioye in explicabill
     Nowe torne agayne to me

   • A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe.

Usage notes

• See amicable.

Synonyms

• likable

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• amiable in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• amiable in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• amiable at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• aimable

French

Etymology

Inherited from Late Latin am?c?bilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.mjabl/

Adjective

amiable (plural amiables)

1. amiable

Derived terms

• à l'amiable

Further reading

• “amiable” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Etymology

From Late Latin am?c?bilis (“friendly”), from Latin am?cus (“friend”), from am? (“I love”).

Adjective

amiable m (oblique and nominative feminine singular amiable)

1. likable; amiable

Descendants

• Middle French: amyable
• Middle English: amyable, amiable
  • English: amiable

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?nd??stand??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??nd??stænd??/
• Rhymes: -ænd??
• Hyphenation: un?der?stand?ing

Noun

understanding (countable and uncountable, plural understandings) (with of, but with for in sense of "sympathy")

1. (gerund, uncountable) The act of one that understands or comprehends; comprehension; knowledge; discernment.
2. (countable) Reason or intelligence, ability to grasp the full meaning of knowledge, ability to infer.
3. (countable) Opinion, judgement or outlook.

4. (countable) An agreement of minds; harmony; something mutually understood or agreed upon.
   1. An informal contract; mutual agreement.

   2. A reconciliation of differences.

5. (uncountable) Sympathy.

Derived terms

• peace that passeth understanding

Translations

See also

• intellection

Adjective

understanding (comparative more understanding, superlative most understanding)

1. Showing compassion.
2. (dated) Knowing; skilful.

Translations

Verb

understanding

1. present participle of understand