AFFABILITY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does affability mean? 

• AFFABILITY (noun)
  The noun AFFABILITY has 1 sense:

1. a disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)

  Familiarity information: AFFABILITY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AFFABILITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

affability; affableness; amiability; amiableness; bonhomie; geniality

Hypernyms ("affability" is a kind of...):

friendliness (a friendly disposition)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "affability"):

condescendingness; condescension (affability to your inferiors and temporary disregard for differences of position or rank)

mellowness (geniality, as through the effects of alcohol or marijuana)

sweetness and light (a mild reasonableness)

Derivation:

affable (diffusing warmth and friendliness)

 Context examples 

I rather expected, from my knowledge of her affability, that it would happen.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

No pride, no hauteur, and your sister just the same—all sweetness and affability!

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Some persons might have considered these pleasing liberties as bribes, but Demi didn't see it in that light, and continued to patronize the 'the bear-man' with pensive affability, while Daisy bestowed her small affections upon him at the third call, and considered his shoulder her throne, his arm her refuge, his gifts treasures surpassing worth.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Instead of returning my Good morning with his usual affability, he looked at me in a distant, ceremonious manner, and coldly requested me to accompany him to a certain coffee-house, which, in those days, had a door opening into the Commons, just within the little archway in St. Paul's Churchyard.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

His manners in private were even more mild and attractive than in public, for there was a certain dignity in his mien during his lecture which in his own house was replaced by the greatest affability and kindness.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

During this interval, even Adele was seldom sent for to his presence, and all my acquaintance with him was confined to an occasional rencontre in the hall, on the stairs, or in the gallery, when he would sometimes pass me haughtily and coldly, just acknowledging my presence by a distant nod or a cool glance, and sometimes bow and smile with gentlemanlike affability.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Mrs. Norris was beginning an eager assurance of the affability he might depend on, when she was stopped by Sir Thomas's saying with authority, I do not advise your going to Brighton, William, as I trust you may soon have more convenient opportunities of meeting; but my daughters would be happy to see their cousins anywhere; and you will find Mr. Rushworth most sincerely disposed to regard all the connexions of our family as his own.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Miss Woodhouse was so great a personage in Highbury, that the prospect of the introduction had given as much panic as pleasure; but the humble, grateful little girl went off with highly gratified feelings, delighted with the affability with which Miss Woodhouse had treated her all the evening, and actually shaken hands with her at last!

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

She is all affability and condescension, and I doubt not but you will be honoured with some portion of her notice when service is over.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

You know how I dreaded the thoughts of seeing her;—but the very moment I was introduced, there was such an affability in her behaviour as really should seem to say, she had quite took a fancy to me.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)