amity

See also: Amity

English

Etymology

From Middle English amite, from Old French amisté, amitie, amistiet, from Vulgar Latin *amīcitātem, derived from Latin amīcus (“friend”), from amō (“love”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæ.mɪ.ti/, [ˈæ.mɪ.ɾi]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

amity (plural amities)

1. (formal, literary) Friendship; friendliness.
   • 1922, Thomas Hardy, “Welcome Home”, in Lyrics Late and Earlier:

     To my native place / Bent upon returning, / Bosom all day burning / To be where my race / Well were known, 'twas much with me / There to dwell in amity.

2. Mutual understanding and a peaceful relationship, especially between nations; peace; accord.

Usage notes

• This is a formal term and implies the cooperative and supportive relationship between people, or animals. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis.

Synonyms

• friendliness
• friendship

Antonyms

• enmity
• hostility
• enemyship

Related terms

• amiable
• amicable
• amorous

Translations

friendship

• Bulgarian: приятелство (bg) (prijatelstvo), разбирателство (bg) (razbiratelstvo)
• Czech: přátelství (cs) n, přátelské vztahy
• Danish: venskab (da) n
• French: amitié (fr) f
• Galician: amizade (gl) f
• Italian: amicizia (it) f
• Japanese: 友好 (ja) (yūkō), 親睦 (ja) (shimboku), 友誼 (ja) (yūgi)
• Portuguese: amizade (pt) f
• Russian: дру́жба (ru) f (drúžba)
• Spanish: amistad (es) f

Further reading

• “amity”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “amity”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “amity”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• atimy