Friendlike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the qualities or manner of a friend, such as warmth, loyalty, or approachability
2. Showing friendly qualities or behaving in a way that suggests companionship and goodwill
3. Displaying characteristics typical of friendship, including openness and kindness toward others

Etymology: "Friendlike" is a plain compound: the noun "friend" with the suffix "-like," meaning "resembling or characteristic of," the same ending found in words such as "childlike" and "godlike." Its more familiar relative is "friendly," which is a doublet of it, meaning the two words came down from the same ancestor by different routes and so are related without being interchangeable in most uses. The two forms split in their development. "Friendly" was formed by adding "-ly" to "friend," producing an adjective that drifted toward warmth and sociability, while "friendlike" kept the more literal sense of having the qualities of a friend. Because "-like" can be attached to almost any noun, the word is less a fixed entry than a form English speakers can build on demand, which explains why it appears more often in dictionaries as a coinage than as a set phrase.

Synonyms: friendly, companionable

Antonyms: unfriendly, hostile