Amiable is an adjective used to describe people who are friendly or sociable. It can also describe things with a pleasing quality. Amicable on the other hand is usually used to describe relations or interactions that are civil or peaceable. Your good neighbor is 'amiable,' but your interactions with him are 'amicable.'

The adjective amiable means friendly, pleasant, likable, and/or sociable. Amiable is commonly used to describe people. The adverb form is amiably. The adjective amicable means peaceable, willing, or characterized by goodwill. Amicable is generally used to describe situations, encounters, or relationships between people.

Amiable describes an individual person as being friendly, good-natured, and pleasant. It can also refer to qualities of that person, such as their demeanor or their voice. Amicable, on the other hand, describes friendly and peaceable relationships or interactions between people, especially an interaction that isn’t usually friendly or peaceable.

Amicable can describe situations, specifically ones that were previously strained but are now a lot better. For instance, if you were describing the relationship between a divorcing couple, you might say, “The parents were amicable with each other around the kids.” Amiable is used to describe one’s personality and pertains to a disposition.