friendly

1 of 3

adjective

friend·​ly ˈfren(d)-lē How to pronounce friendly (audio)
friendlier; friendliest
1
: of, relating to, or befitting a friend: such as
a
: showing kindly interest and goodwill
friendly neighbors
b
: not hostile
a friendly merger offer
also : involving or coming from actions of one's own forces
friendly fire
c
: cheerful, comforting
the friendly glow of the fire
2
: serving a beneficial or helpful purpose
A friendly breeze finally drove the boat into harbor.
3
a
: easy to use or understand
friendly computer software
often used in combination
a reader-friendly layout
b
: designed or intended to accommodate particular needs, users, etc.
usually used in combination
a kid-friendly restaurant
… providing a more business-friendly and professional environment …Matt Miller
see also user-friendly
4
: not causing or likely to cause harm
environmentally friendly packaging [=packaging that does not damage the environment]
often used in combination
an eco-friendly vehicle
friendlily adverb

friendly

2 of 3

adverb

: in a friendly manner : amicably

friendly

3 of 3

noun

plural friendlies
1
: one that is friendly
especially : a native who is friendly to settlers or invaders
2
chiefly British : a match between sports teams and especially international teams that has no connection with league or championship play
Choose the Right Synonym for friendly

amicable, neighborly, friendly mean exhibiting goodwill and an absence of antagonism.

amicable implies a state of peace and a desire on the part of the parties not to quarrel.

maintained amicable relations

neighborly implies a disposition to live on good terms with others and to be helpful on principle.

neighborly concern

friendly stresses cordiality and often warmth or intimacy of personal relations.

sought friendly advice

Examples of friendly in a Sentence

Adjective The local people are very friendly to visitors. It was friendly of him to offer to help us. His friendly smile was reassuring. They maintained a friendly correspondence. A friendly breeze helped us sail the boat into the harbor.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The firm looks to replace traditional lawns with low-maintenance and environmentally friendly fescue grasses, which require less water and less mowing. Paola Singer, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2024 The book series kicked off in 1996, just a few years before the rise of premium cable culture drivers would make television more friendly to artistic ambition and less subject to the FCC. Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 The Sum is your friendly guide to personal finance and economic news. Cortlynn Stark, Sacramento Bee, 17 Feb. 2024 The church, known for conducting mass weddings, has been sued over its recruiting methods and criticized by some over its friendly relationship with North Korea, where Moon was born. Cedar Attanasio, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2024 The thing is Parson hasn’t been as eager to joust with other governors at the playoff level, allowing Kelly to be the governor most often seen placing friendly wagers. Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2024 Messi could return to China in March with Argentina for friendly matches against Nigeria in Hangzhou and Ivory Coast in Beijing. Chris Lau, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024 For many consumers, hybrids have the feel-good factor of burning less fuel than normal cars—friendlier on the environment and the wallet—without the range anxiety and other doubts surrounding EVs. Steve Mollman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2024 On Sunday, Hong Kong’s soccer fans hoped to catch a glimpse of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi in a friendly exhibition match against the city’s local team. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 5 Feb. 2024
Adverb
Weighing only 2 pounds, the tabletop grill is small space and camping-friendly—made for balconies, camping, and patios. Gabriela Izquierdo, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2023 Planned performances resumed Friday, and a program nothing if not audience friendly filled plenty of seats at the Meyerson Symphony Center. Dallas News, 4 Feb. 2023 The couple, parents of two young children, felt something more family friendly fit their lives in 2022. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2022 Wednesday had a friendly-looking cloud and a few raindrops, and Thursday had a dark, threatening cloud with heavier drops. F. Martin Ralph, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2022 Midtown offices offers an excellent view — especially of the giant purple robot and friendly-looking hot dog that are waving from behind skyscrapers. Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 28 July 2022 Events for May 26 include a stress management program 10-11 a.m., low vision tips and tricks noon to 1 p.m. and friendly beat the champs chair volleyball and corn hole competitions 1-2 p.m. Carol Kovach, cleveland, 24 May 2022 Sixty years ago, friendly-faced host Jim McKay welcomed viewers to a live broadcast of the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. BostonGlobe.com, 24 Apr. 2021 As the coronavirus pandemic squeezes household budgets, workers and employers alike are increasingly turning to pay-advance apps with friendly-sounding names like Earnin, Dave, Brigit and Rain. Tara Siegel Bernard, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2020
Noun
Hayes will manage the team in a pair of friendlies against South Korea in early June before settling on the Olympic roster ahead of two send-off games in July. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 This is because Endrick has been called up to the senior national Brazil team by new head coach Dorival Junior for a pair of March friendlies. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Argentina was slated to play two friendlies in China in March, but they have been canceled because of the fallout. USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 To simplify logistics this time round, Barca reportedly plans to keep its tour limited to the east coast of the United States which means that New York and Miami are prime candidates for hosting friendlies. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Ronaldo’s injury was first revealed on Jan. 23 when Al Nassr was forced to cancel two preseason friendlies in China due to the injury. Safid Deen, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024 Inter Miami failed to score in its first two preseason friendlies against El Salvador (0-0 tie) and FC Dallas (1-0 loss) and aims to play better during its two games in Saudi Arabia. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2024 The Loons will play friendlies against Chicago Fire on Wednesday and Charlotte FC next Saturday. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024 Martino was pressed on the type of injury Messi had sustained as there were already reports that the star player was carrying a hamstring problem since Miami’s previous friendly against Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Andrew McNicol, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'friendly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see friend entry 1

Adverb

see friend entry 1

Noun

see friend entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of friendly was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near friendly

Cite this Entry

“Friendly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friendly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

friendly

1 of 2 adjective
friend·​ly ˈfren-dlē How to pronounce friendly (audio)
friendlier; friendliest
: of, relating to, or right for a friend: as
a
: showing kindly interest and goodwill
a friendly gesture
b
: not hostile
friendly natives
c
: helpful, favorable
a friendly breeze
d
: bringing comfort or cheer
the friendly glow of the fire
e
: accommodating, compatible
environmentally friendly packaging
often used in combination
a kid-friendly restaurant
friendliness noun

friendly

2 of 2 noun
plural friendlies
: a person who is friendly or cooperative

Legal Definition

friendly

adjective
friend·​ly
: agreeable to those affected : not hostile
a friendly takeover

More from Merriam-Webster on friendly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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