Etymologically
Log in

agréable

Etymology and origin of the French word agréable

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1160, Benoît de Sainte-Maure
Ultimate origin
Latin (grātus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.ɡʁe.abl/[1]

Forms

agréable (plural agréables)[1] Old French agraable (about 1160).[2]

Etymology

It is from French agréer + -able.[1][3][4] The verb agréer (1138), “to find to one's liking”, is formed on gré, from Latin grātum, the neuter of grātus (“pleasing”) used as a noun.[4] Compare Old Occitan agradaole, Catalan agradable, Spanish agradable, Portuguese agradável and Italian aggradevole.[1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Benoît de Sainte-Maure (about 1160) has agraable, what pleases.[2]

Semantic evolution

In the 13th century avoir aggreable meant to approve or accept, a sense that survives in the dated avoir pour agréable, to see fit; the 17th-century purists condemned it as a bourgeois phrase.[5][6][7] Oresme (14th century) calls a person who behaves as he should amiable ou affable ou aggreable.[5] The usual modern sense is what gives physical, intellectual or moral pleasure.[2][7] The opposite, désagréable, dates from the 13th century.[4]

Timeline

  • 1138 – The verb agréer.[4]
  • c. 1160 – Agraable in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.[2]
  • 13th century – Désagréable, avoir aggreable “to approve”.[4][5]
  • 14th century – Oresme: of a pleasant person.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Pleasant, nice, agreeable: une musique agréable, un temps agréable.[7][1]
  2. Of a person, pleasant, likeable: des gens agréables.[7]
  3. Giving pleasure to someone: si cela peut vous être agréable.[7]
  4. (dated) Avoir pour agréable: to approve, see fit.[7][6]

Noun

  1. L'agréable: what is pleasant: joindre l'utile à l'agréable.[7]
  • agréer
  • gré
  • agrément

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Agréable.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/agr%C3%A9able. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·