friendly, a. (n.) and adv.
(ˈfrɛndlɪ)
[OE. fréondlic adj., -l{iacu}ce adv.: see friend n. and -ly1, -ly2.]
A. adj.
1. Having the qualities or disposition of a friend, disposed to act as a friend, kind.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. xiii. (1891) 440 Oðþe ðurh ða freondlican ænglas oðþe ða feondas. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 106 (155) He is the frendliest man Of so grete astate, that ever I saw in my lyve. 1402 Hoccleve Let. of Cupid 302 How frendely was Medea to Jason. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 8 b, The enuyous man is frendely to him that is present. 1584 Burleigh in Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. v. 159 Your Graces as friendly as any Will. Burley. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. vi, I knew him to be friendly as far as he was able. 1871 G. Meredith H. Richmond xlii, No one could be friendlier. |
2. a. Characteristic of or befitting a friend or friends; manifesting friendship.
| c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 251 Hyde Jonathas al thyn frendely manere. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxli. 312 The grayhounde..made to hym the same frendly countinaunce and chere as he was wonte to do to the kyng. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. ii. vi. 47 Your Mother came to Cicelie, and did finde Her welcome Friendly. 1683 Pennsylv. Archives I. 72 And first, I congratulate w{supt}{suph} a friendly Joy. 1709 Steele & Swift Tatler No. 67 ¶12 To tell People of their Faults in a friendly and private Manner. 1785 J. C. Lettsom Let. 8 Apr. in T. J. Pettigrew Life (1817) II. 425, I was sorry to perceive by your last friendly letter that you have failed in procuring a loan for my friend Mr. W. 1868 M. E. Braddon Run to Earth I. i. 9 Jernam acknowledged their courtesy with a friendly nod. |
b. friendly lead, among the poorer classes in London, an entertainment given by friends for the benefit of a person in distress, etc.
| 1886 Besant Childr. Gibeon ii. xxxii, The great table dented..with a thousand hammerings of pewter pots at friendly leads. 1895 Daily Tel. 26 Sept. 3 He went to a ‘friendly lead’ for the benefit of a man who had just come out of the hospital. |
3. a. Not hostile or at variance; on amicable terms. Const. to, with.
| 1595 Shakes. John ii. i. 481 Why answer not the double Maiesties, This friendly treatie of our threatned Towne. 1607 ― Timon v. i. 122 Nothing but himselfe, which lookes like man, Is friendly with him. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 695 The Inhabitants whereof..have shewed themselves friendly to the Portugals. 1671 Narborough Jrnl. in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. i. (1711) 135 The People were friendly..but..very theevish. 1798 Nelson 22 July in Nicolas Disp. (1845) III. 47 The King's flag is insulted at every Friendly Port we look at. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 399 The wits and the Puritans had never been on friendly terms. 1860 Ann. Reg. 21 Sowing suspicion and distrust, calculated to bring about a total rupture with a neighbouring and friendly country. |
b. Not proceeding from or attended with hostility; amicable. Of an action at Law: Brought between parties not really at variance, in order to obtain a decision on some point.
c. Of a match at football, etc.: Played simply for the honour of the thing and not in competition for a cup, etc. Usually ellipt. (quasi-n.).
| 1894 Athletic News 5 Nov. 4 The Sunderland and Woolwich Arsenal match was a friendly. 1895 Westm. Gaz. 7 Nov. 3/2 When an inter-club match is called a ‘friendly’, the inference as to what a league match means is fairly easy. 1903 Wodehouse Tales of St. Austin's 18 Merevale's were playing a ‘friendly’ with the School-House, and..Harrison had been pressed into service as umpire. Ibid. 22 Lucky the game was only a friendly. 1963 Times 11 May 3/6 He has appeared in a number of first-team friendlies. 1971 Daily Tel. 2 Aug. 3/7 Fighting broke out on the terraces during the Port Vale ‘friendly’ match against Manchester City at Vale Park. |
4. Favourably disposed, well-wishing; inclined to approve, help, or support.
| 1535 Coverdale Ps. xxiv. [xxv.] 8 O how frendly & rightuous is the Lorde. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. v. i. 94 The Gods to day stand friendly. 1826 Foster in Life & Corr. (1846) II. 79 A letter..which contained a most friendly reference to me. 1878 J. C. Morison Gibbon 72 The side of his history from which a friendly biographer would most readily turn away. |
5. a. Of things, influences, etc.: Disposed or likely to be helpful or serviceable; kindly, propitious, favourable, salutary. Const. to, † unto.
| c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. ii. §4 He is in dignite & conforted with frendly aspectys of planetes. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. v. iii. 163 O churle, drinke all? and left no friendly drop, To helpe me after. 1659 Hammond On Ps. cvii. 23–30 By the friendliest gales. 1683 Tryon Way to Health 192 The more simple..sorts of Food and Drink, as Bread, Cheese..are both mild and friendly. 1821 Lamb Elia Ser. i. Mackery End, As words written in lemon come out upon exposure to a friendly warmth. 1850 Prescott Peru II. 341 He bent down his head to kiss it, when a stroke, more friendly than the rest, put an end to his existence. |
b. Suitable to one's comfort, convenient.
| 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 33 Neighb'ring Trees, with friendly Shade invite The Troops. 1713 Addison Cato i. iv, At th' approach of Night On the first friendly Bank he throws him down. 1885 J. Payn Talk of Town II. 196 A friendly pillar brought Dennis himself to anchorage. |
† 6. Of things: ‘Disposed to union’ (J.); not jarring or conflicting. Obs.
| 1717 Pope Ep. to Jervas 15 Like friendly colours [we] found them both unite. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §272 To bring all the parts into their most friendly state of contact. |
7. Of or pertaining to the Society of Friends.
| 1886 American XII. 155 Whose family are Friendly people. |
8. Friendly Society. Originally, the name of a particular fire-insurance company. In later use, one of numerous associations, the members of which pay fixed contributions to insure pecuniary help in sickness or old age, and provision for their families in the event of death.
| 1703 Lond. Gaz. No. 3910/4 All Persons who have any Demands upon the Undertakers of the Friendly Society, by reason of the late Fire..may..Receive the money, due on any Policy of Insurance. 1720 Ibid. No. 5909/3 The Friendly Society (or Sheaf or Arrows) give Notice, That they assure Losses from Fire. 1819 Gentl. Mag. 529 He placed the property of Friendly Societies under the protection of the laws. 1863 Fawcett Pol. Econ. ii. ix. (1876) 240 A Trades'-Union performs the ordinary functions of a Friendly Society. |
9. Comb., as friendly-fiendly, friendly-seeming adjs.
| 1709 E. Holdsworth Muscipula (1749) 51 With friendly-seeming wellcome. 1877 Tennyson Harold iii. i, With that friendly-fiendly smile of his. |
B. n. (See also A. 3 c.) A member of a people that is ‘friendly’, esp. to whites. Usually pl.
| 1861 Let. 18 May in Richmond–Atkinson Papers (1960) I. xii. 707 No natives about except the ‘friendlies’ at Poutoko and Hauranga. 1869 B. Y. Ashwell Let. 8 May IV. 554, 200 Friendlies went with Heta. 1870 Pall Mall G. 19 Apr., They were friendlies returning home. 1885 Ibid. 17 Mar. 8/1 Our Arab ‘friendlies’ declare that [etc.]. |
C. adv. In a friendly manner or spirit, like a friend, with friendship.
| Beowulf 1027 Ne ᵹefræᵹn ic freondlicor feower madmas. c 1205 Lay. 14845 We scullen an londe..godes folc uroæfrien & freondliche hit halden. a 1300 Cursor M. 15294 Forwit his disciplis fete Ful freindli he fell. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 171 Was neuer gome vppon grounde..Feirore vndurfonge ne frendloker maad at ese. c 1440 York Myst. xxxiii. 76 So frendly he fared. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 281 Than spak he freindly. 1549 Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. Jas. i. 27 Euen so muste we agayne bee bothe mercyfull and frendely liberall towardes our neighbour. 1608 Rowlands Humors Looking Glasse 9 Vnles he friendly drew his purse. 1705 Hearne Collect. 21 Nov., W{supc}{suph} [he] was friendly told of. 1772–84 Cook Voy. (1790) V. 1672 Some of the men marry three wives, who in general live friendly together. 1807 P. Gass Jrnl. 255 The natives used us friendly and with kindness. 1869 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) III. xii. 157 He tended him friendly in his castle for three days. |
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Add: [A.] [3.] d. Mil. Of troops, equipment, etc.: of, belonging to, or in alliance with one's own forces; spec. resulting in accidental damage by allied troops to one's own installations, aircraft, or personnel, esp. as in friendly fire.
| 1925 Fraser & Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words, Friendly, a trench phrase in the War, used of a shell heard either passing high overhead or one falling short in our lines, meaning in that case one of our own shells. 1941 Civil Engineering (U.S.) XI. 307/2 The range of friendly bombing aircraft permits assembly of tactical operating units from such widely dispersed fields that bombing attacks against any single base may be made unprofitable from a military standpoint. 1945 Electronic Engin. XVII. 686/2 An I.F.F. unit can be briefly described as being a transmitter-receiver device installed in friendly aircraft whose purpose is to reply to the interrogation of the friendly Radar station. 1956 W. A. Heflin U.S. Air Force Dict. 140/2 Controlled interception, an interception during which the friendly aircraft are directed from an air or surface station. 1966 New Statesman 14 Oct. 549/2 Friendly forces have made contact with Charlie and a fire fight followed. 1976 C. D. B. Bryan Friendly Fire xvii. 204, I am informed that each instance where Americans have been killed by friendly artillery fire is investigated. 1981 Sci. Amer. Feb. 29/2 Their use in this role, although primarily directed against attack submarines, could free friendly boats from patrolling these waters for other missions. 1991 Independent 22 Feb. 3/1 Since the war began, more American troops are thought to have been killed by ‘friendly fire’ than by the Iraqis, most by air-launched missiles. |
[5.] c. Chiefly Computing. User-friendly, easy and convenient to use; readily accessible to the non-specialist.
| 1979 Sci. Amer. Sept. 98/2 Communication is through a friendly, interactive keyboard, sealed to prevent damage from chemical spills. 1982 Newsweek 22 Feb. 53/2 Software producers rarely test their materials with neophytes like me... But there are programs, called ‘friendly’ in the industry, that offer heady relief. 1985 Personal Computer World Feb. 149/2 VCCP and all the above features have..transformed PCP/M into an extremely easy and friendly system to use. 1989 PC World Oct. 104/3 Informix also envisions Wingz for OS/2 as a friendly front end for sophisticated applications. |
d. Not harmful to the environment. Cf. environmentally friendly s.v. *environmental a.
| 1988 Practical Health Spring 66/2 A new hair spray with a health angle..is friendly to the environment as well as having a long-lasting hold. 1990 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 24 Feb. 8/6 (headline) Stores drop ‘friendly’ plastic bags. 1991 Green Mag. Feb. 22/3 In the spirit of public service, big companies proclaim the importance of initial tasks—CFC-free cars, friendly detergents, no preservatives, additives etc. |
[B.] n. b. Mil. Usu. in pl. Troops, artillery, etc., deployed by one's own or an allied force.
| 1986 Interavia: Aerospace Rev. Jan. 110/4 Targets detected by passive ESM, radar or JTIDS are marked on the map, together with friendlies picked up on IFF. 1991 Independent 22 Feb. 3/1 What we've found is that when you have two opposing forces intertwined, it's difficult to separate the friendlies from the enemy. |