companionable
adjective
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A "companionable" person is someone who (etymologically at least) is willing to share bread with you. "Companionable" is the adjective form of "companion," which ultimately derives from a combination of the Latin prefix com-, meaning "with" or "together," and the noun panis, meaning "bread, loaf, or food." "Companionable" first appeared in print in English in the 16th century (companion has been in use since the 14th). Other descendants of "panis" include "pantry" (a place for storing food), "pannier" (a basket such as might carry food), and "panettone" (a kind of yeast bread). Even "food" itself is derived from the same ancient root that gave rise to "panis" in Latin.
Examples of companionable in a Sentence
Sally Jane Brown, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
This triumphant greeting was followed by multiple friendly handshakes, a cordial pat or two on the arm, and a companionable stride past an enfilade of American F-22 fighter jets at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
Not just the comfortable, companionable silences but the ones that carry weight.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Winfrey and Goldberg, ages 71 and 69, were presenting themselves as political avatars rather than the companionable media figures of their first renown.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for companionable
Cite this Entry
“Companionable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/companionable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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