WordGarden.ioamenable
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /əmˈiːnəbəl/
US
- /əˈmɛnəbəl/
Meanings
Adjective
willing to cooperate, accept suggestions, or be guided
capable of being affected, improved, or dealt with in a specified way
Beyond the definition
Imagine trying to convince your grumpy neighbor to join the neighborhood cleanup crew. If they're amenable to your request, it means they're open to it – willing to cooperate and say "yes!" It doesn't mean they're thrilled about picking up trash, just that they aren't actively fighting against the idea.
The word suggests a pleasant willingness, a lack of resistance. A good employee is amenable to feedback, meaning they accept constructive criticism without getting defensive. A dog might be amenable to a belly rub – tail wags are a good sign! It's about being open and receptive to suggestions or requests.
You’ll also see amenable used for things, especially in the pattern “amenable to.” For example, a problem might be amenable to a simple fix, or a condition might be amenable to treatment—meaning it responds well and can be helped.
To be amenable means readily willing to agree, cooperate, or comply with something. It suggests a positive attitude towards proposals, requests, or changes. It's more than just passively accepting; it implies a willingness to work with someone or something.
You’ll often find it with the preposition “to”: someone is amenable to a request, amenable to compromise, amenable to feedback. In this personal sense, it means “open and willing,” not necessarily enthusiastic—just not resistant.
But amenable also has a broader “responsive or susceptible” sense. A headache might be amenable to rest and hydration; a stain may be amenable to removal; a material can be amenable to shaping. Here, the idea is that something can be affected, improved, or worked on successfully.
In more formal (especially legal) contexts, amenable can mean “subject or answerable to” authority: someone may be amenable to a court’s jurisdiction or amenable to discipline. In this use, it’s less about willingness and more about being within the reach of rules or control.
So, if someone is open-minded, cooperative, and willing to go along with a plan, they are likely amenable. It's a quality that fosters collaboration, understanding, and smooth interactions – making things easier for everyone involved.
Examples
- 1
Suggestion
She was surprisingly amenable to my suggestion.
- 2
Flexible plan
The plan is still amenable to change if the client wants something different.
- Phraseamenable to change
still possible to change
- 3
Work schedule
He wasn't amenable to working weekends, so the manager changed the schedule.
- Patternamenable to + -ing
willing to accept or do something
- 4
Lease negotiation
After they lowered the price, the landlord became more amenable to a shorter lease.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Medical treatment
Some cases are not amenable to treatment with antibiotics.
- Phrasenot amenable to treatment
unlikely to respond well to that treatment
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Do not confuse
- amendable
Used with (collocations)
- amenable to suggestion
- amenable to change
- amenable to reason
- be amenable to
Word family
- amenability
Explore
- persuadability
- flexibility
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- amenableadjective