What does agreeability mean?
Agreeability is a noun denoting the quality of being agreeable — that is, pleasant, willing, and easy to get along with. Applied to people, it describes a warm, accommodating disposition: someone with agreeability tends to cooperate readily, avoid friction, and put others at ease. Applied to things or circumstances, it refers to how pleasing or acceptable they are, as in the agreeability of a climate or a proposal. The word derives from the verb 'agree', ultimately rooted in Latin 'gratus' (pleasing), via Old French 'agréer'. In modern usage agreeability is somewhat formal and less frequent than its close cousin 'agreeableness', which also names one of the major personality traits in psychology. Writers often reach for agreeability in evaluative or descriptive prose — character references, reviews, and social commentary — where its slightly elevated register lends a measured, thoughtful tone. Its antonyms include disagreeability and unpleasantness.
nounThe quality of being pleasant, willing, or easy to get along with; the state of being agreeable. It can also denote the degree to which something is pleasing or acceptable.
- The quality of being pleasant, friendly, and easy to deal with (of a person).
- The quality of being pleasing, acceptable, or to one's liking (of a thing or situation).
"Her natural agreeability made her a favorite among both colleagues and clients."
"His unfailing agreeability smoothed over even the most contentious meetings."
"The agreeability of the coastal climate drew visitors throughout the year."
Agreeability comes from the French 'agréer' — 'to please' — so at its root, an agreeable person is literally one who pleases.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of agreeability
Agreeability was formed in English from the adjective 'agreeable' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ity', following a pattern common in Latinate vocabulary. 'Agreeable' itself traces back through Middle French 'agréable' to the verb 'agréer' ('to please, to accept favorably'), from Late Latin 'aggregare' ('to bring together'), built on 'ad-' (toward) and 'grex/gregis' (a flock), the same root that gives us 'aggregate' and 'gregarious'. The word has been in use since roughly the early modern period, alongside sibling '-ity' nouns such as 'suitability' and 'amenability'.
Related word forms
How agreeability is actually used
Agreeability is somewhat formal and less common than its near-synonym 'agreeableness'; it appears most often in written or evaluative contexts describing temperament or the pleasantness of conditions.
Easily confused with agreeability
Agreeableness is the more common term for the personality trait of being cooperative and warm (one of the Big Five traits), while agreeability is a less frequent synonym that can also describe how pleasing a thing is.
Agility refers to physical or mental quickness and nimbleness, whereas agreeability concerns pleasantness or willingness to please.