Peaceful/Peaceable

[vasea1977]

Hi,
How would you define the difference between "peaceful" and "peaceable"? Thank you for your replies.

 

[sb70012]

Hi,
How would you define the difference between "peaceful" and "peaceable"? Thank you for your replies.

Hi,

Peaceable and peaceful are usually used interchangeably, but their conventional definitions differ slightly. Peaceable, meaning inclined to peace,is more likely to describe people and groups of people, whereas peaceful, meaning undisturbed by turmoil or disagreement,is more likely to apply to events and situations. But these distinctions are treated loosely and are not consistently borne out in real-world use.

You can have look at these examples:

We believe our world is riddled with terror and war, but we may be living in the most peaceable era in human existence.
The arrests were the only signs of trouble in the otherwise peaceful march.
That is why city centres are no-go areas for peaceable folk on Friday and Saturday nights.
The group remained peaceful as they weaved their way through city streets.
Werner focuses on more peaceable female cows rather than bulls or oxen.
There were several clashes between the rioters and demonstrators who wanted the protest to remain peaceful.


We can also say that:

'Peaceful' generally means 'calm, serene, enjoying or favouring peace, belonging to a time of peace', whereas 'peaceable' generally means 'favouring peace', and is frequently applied to people or nations that prefer to lead a quiet existence. The words are partial synonyms. Of the two, 'peaceful' is more commonly used, probably because it can be applied to a greater variety of situations.

Cross posted

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

sb70012, please acknowledge the source of your quotations.

 

[sb70012]

sb70012, please acknowledge the source of your quotations.

Peaceable vs. peaceful - Grammarist