Amenity
/əˈmiːnɪti/noun
A desirable feature or convenience that makes a place more pleasant or comfortable.
Did you know?Amenity ultimately comes from Latin amoenitas, meaning pleasantness or delight, so its history is less occult than it sounds—but it still carries the eerie power of a word that began as a feeling of blessing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂em-
“to fit together; to love, be fond of”
Latin
Latin
amoenus
“pleasant, delightful, charming”
Latin
Latin
amoenitas
“pleasantness, delight, attractiveness”
Old French
Old French
amenité
“pleasantness, agreeableness”
Middle English
English
amenite
“pleasantness; agreeable quality”
Modern English
English
amenity
“a pleasant or useful feature or convenience”