aimable

English

Etymology 1

From aim +‎ -able.

Adjective

aimable (not comparable)

1. Capable of being aimed.
   • 2000, Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office:

     An apparatus for enabling a user to orient an aiming axis of an aimable device at a desired orientation with respect to a line of sight from the user to a target […]

Derived terms

• unaimable

 

Etymology 2

From French aimable. Doublet of amable.

Adjective

aimable (comparative more aimable, superlative most aimable)

1. (rare) Likeable, amiable.
   • 1681, [Georges] de Scudery, translated by a Person of Honour, Amaryllis to Tityrus. Being, the First Heroick Harangue of the Excellent Pen of Monsieur Scudery. A Witty and Pleasant Novel. Englished by a Person of Honour, London: […] Will. Cademan, […], pages 31, 43, 60, and 61:

     And almoſt all have their Crooks enriched with Devices, Cyphers and Ribands, and the propriety of their Habits, ſerves to render them more aimable: […] They inform themſelves with care, and they tell to all they meet, all the marks of this aimable Animal, […] Remember not (I ſay) the Sunbeams to be as illuſtrious as I have depainted ’em; Nor our Rivers whoſe waves are Argent; Nor the aimable obſcurity of our Grots: […] Nor the aimable diverſity of our Flowers: […]

   • 1692, J. S., The Pious Christians Devotion: And Most Excellent Family-Companion or, A Friendly Guide to Eternal Life and Glory, in the Perfect Enjoyment of God, and the Blessed Fellowship of Saints and Angels, London: […] W. and J. Wilde, for J. Deacon […], pages 42, 53, 77, and 101:

     Widowhood pityable in its ſolitary Loſs, but aimable and comely, when it is ordained with Gravity and Purity; […] Let me then, whilſt I have my Day of Life, divorſe Sin from me, and hate it mortally, becauſe it is an Enemy to God; and embrace the divine Vertues, that are in themſelves Aimable, and Delightfull, conducing to the Health and Wellfare of the Body; […] O how Aimable are thy Dwellings thou Lord of hoſts! […] by turning upon me thine aimable Eyes, haſt darted Comfort into my Soul; […]

   • 1708, Mateo Aleman, translated by several Hands, The Life of Guzman d’Alfarache: or, The Spanish Rogue. To Which Is Added, The Celebrated Tragi-Comedy, Celestina., volume I, London: […] R. Bonwick, W. Freeman, T. Goodwin, […], pages 94, 447, and 467:

     He was beautiful in Perſon, and aimable in Temper, and, in a Word, was as compleat a Gentleman as the Catholick Court had bred for a long while. […] It is enough he knows what paſs’d was between two Lovers, well intention’d and aimable, who had known one another a great while, and were not come thither to pick Straws. […] Celinda perceiving her Coſen well inform’d of the Matter, and finding ſhe could no longer diſguiſe her Sentiments, acknowledged ſhe had been for ſome time convinc’d of the Count’s Inclinations, and agreed with her that he was a very aimable Perſon, but ſaid, that finding no Emotion in her ſelf towards him, ſhe could not think ſhe was culpable for not loving him, nor giving him any Tokens of her Affection.

   • 1903 July 25, H. L., “Paris Letter. (From our French Correspondent.)”, in The Academy and Literature, volume LXV, number 1629, London: Publishing Office: […], published 1904, page 88, column 2:

     The difference between these poets is that whereas Mme. de Noailles’ novel “La Nouvelle Espérance” is utterly bad, the prose scarcely readable, pretentious, twisted, quite un-French, the characterisation feeble to the degree of inanity, the immorality exasperating in its stupid unaccountableness, Mme. de Régnier’s novel “L’Inconsciente” is admirably artistic, finished, original and aimable even in its tristeful unconsciousness of evil.

Anagrams

• amiable

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French aimable, amable, from Old French amable, from Latin amābilis. By surface analysis, aimer +‎ -able. Doublet of amabile.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ.mabl/ ~ /e.mabl/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Homophone: aimables
• Hyphenation: ai‧mable

Adjective

aimable (plural aimables)

1. likeable, amiable

   C’est très aimable de ta part de m’avoir invité ce soir.

   It's very kind of you to have invited me here this evening.

Derived terms

• aimable comme une porte de prison
• aimablement

Related terms

• aimer
• amiable

Descendants

• → English: aimable

Further reading

• “aimable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• amabile