Amenable means willing to agree to something or open to being influenced. When someone is amenable to a suggestion, they're receptive and cooperative rather than stubborn or resistant. If your friend is amenable to your idea for a weekend activity, she's happy to go along with your plan.

The word often describes someone's attitude toward proposals or requests. A teacher might be amenable to extending a deadline if students have a good reason. Parents might be amenable to getting a pet if their children prove they're responsible enough to care for it. Being amenable doesn't mean being a pushover: it means being reasonable and willing to consider other people's ideas.

You can also be amenable to reason or amenable to change, meaning you're open to thinking differently when presented with good arguments or new information. Scientists remain amenable to updating their theories when new evidence appears, which is how scientific progress happens.

The word suggests flexibility and cooperation. Someone amenable to compromise can work well with others to find solutions everyone can accept. In contrast, someone who's not amenable to feedback refuses to listen or adjust, which makes working together difficult.