[Vocabulary] usage of amicable

[brianbrian]

amicable is an adjective used to describe a relationship in which people show a friendly attitude toward each other.


Let me call a certain country Country Z. Suppose that the citizens in that country are very friendly and polite to one another and to all the foreign visitors.

In that sense, can I use "amicable" in the following sentence?


(ex) Visitors from around the world think that country Z is amicable and welcoming to all tourists.

Is "amicable" correctly used to describe a country where its citizens are friendly? Please explain. Thanks.

 

[Champleon]

I would use de adjectives: great, lovely, friendly... E.g.: ... a friendly and welcoming country.
"amicable" is used to express relationship, exchange, settlement, etc. between countries.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Amicable is an adjective used to describe a relationship in which people show a friendly attitude toward each other.


Let me call a certain country Country Z. Suppose that the citizens in that country are very friendly and polite to one another and to all their foreign visitors.

In that sense, can I use "amicable" in the following sentence?


(ex) Visitors from around the world think that country Z is amicable and welcoming to all tourists.

Is "amicable" correctly used to describe a country where its citizens are friendly? Please explain. Thanks.

It sounds strange. The word you want might be amiable.

Here in the U.S., amicable is most often used to describe a divorce that happens without fighting or anger:

- They arrived at an amicable settlement.
- They separated amicably.
- For the sake of their children, they worked hard to reach an amicable agreement.

 

[brianbrian]

Thank you Champleon and Charlie Bernstein for your replies.

May I ask two more questions about my post?

Because amiable is more appropiate than amicable in the context, can I use it in the sentence below?

(1) Country Z is an amiable nation.

I am a little confused by one of the corrections in red. In my original post, one correction is their in the sentence, "Suppose that the citizens in that country are friendly and polite to one another and to their foreign visitors." When I made up the sentence, I thought about using "their". However, "their" may imply that the foreign visitors are the friends, relatives or family members of the local citizens. When you travel to a country, you might not know anyone there. Every summer, I see many foreign visitors on the street, but I do not know any of them. So, they are not my foreign visitors.

(2) Would it be acceptable to use "the" in that sense? Thanks.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Either say their visitors or visitors. Don' t say the visitors, because that implies that we know which visitors you're talking about, and we don't.

Their visitors is fine. The visitors are visiting them (them collectively, as a nation, not personally), so the visitors are theirs.

Just saying visitors is also fine. I just suggested their because it looked like you wanted a word before visitors. I'm sorry that it was confusing.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I agree that "to foreign visitors" is the best.

 

[brianbrian]

Thank you again, Charlie Bernstein.

Is my sentence with 'amiable' correct?

(ex) Country Z is an amiable nation.

Please comment on it. Thanks.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

It is correct. It would sound more natural to say that it is a friendly nation. Or that it's a friendly nation full of amiable people.

 

[AlexAD]

Not a teacher

In case you are looking for another example of using 'amicable' I recommend you to watch this short video clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdH_XtvpVkA from 'The Sopranos'.
Junior: 'Why does everything have to be so difficult? You know, back in the fifties we worked together. Even rival families settled their differences amicably'
Tony: 'Oh yeah, I remember that picture of Albert Anastasia lying there all amicable on the barbershop floor'