companionable

adjective

com·​pan·​ion·​able kəm-ˈpan-yə-nə-bəl 

: marked by, conducive to, or suggestive of companionship : sociable

companionable people

companionable laughter

companionability

kəm-ˌpan-yə-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

companionableness noun

companionably

kəm-ˈpan-yə-nə-blē 

adverb

Did you know?

A "companionable" person is someone who (etymologically at least) is willing to share bread with you. "Companionable" is the adjective form of "companion," which ultimately derives from a combination of the Latin prefix com-, meaning "with" or "together," and the noun panis, meaning "bread, loaf, or food." "Companionable" first appeared in print in English in the 16th century (companion has been in use since the 14th). Other descendants of "panis" include "pantry" (a place for storing food), "pannier" (a basket such as might carry food), and "panettone" (a kind of yeast bread). Even "food" itself is derived from the same ancient root that gave rise to "panis" in Latin.

Synonyms

• amicable
• bonhomous
• buddy-buddy
• chummy
• collegial
• comradely
• cordial
• friendly
• genial
• hail-fellow
• hail-fellow-well-met
• hearty
• matey [chiefly British]
• neighborly
• palsy
• palsy-walsy [slang]
• warm
• warmhearted

Examples of companionable in a Sentence

a companionable pat on the back let me know that my shipmates were now my friends

a good club for companionable enthusiasts of the great outdoors

Recent Examples on the Web

For a while, the team sits together in the truck, watching in companionable silence as the lumbering giants disappear, one by one, into the trees. —Tommy Trenchard, NPR, 8 Dec. 2024

The companionable dynamics in his scenes with Melling and Kene are a treat and help to leaven the languor that sets in the back-half of the run-time. —Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2024

The glance of her companionable eye, the flash of her comprehending smile possess the electrical quality to an all-conquering degree. —Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024

French Canadian actress Karine Vanasse makes for a decent host: cool and mysterious but with a companionable warmth that comes out on occasion. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

companionable

adjective

com·​pan·​ion·​able kəm-ˈpan-yə-nə-bəl 

: friendly

companionably

-blē 

adverb