ἐπιεικής
Alt. ἐπι-εικής, ές
Etym. εἰκός
I. "fitting, meet, suitable", τύμβον ἐπιεικέα "meet" in size, Il.; ἐπιεικέ᾽ ἀμοιβήν a "fair" recompence, Od.; ὡς ἐπιεικές as is "meet", Hom.; c. inf., ὅν κ᾽ ἐπιεικὲς ἀκούειν which word it is "meet" to hear, Il.
II. after Hom.,
1. of statements, rights, etc.,
a. "reasonable, specious, plausible", Hdt., Thuc.
b. "fair, equitable", τῶν δικαίων τὰ ἐπιεικέστερα προτιθέασι Hdt.; πρὸς τὸ ἐπ. ῀ ἐπιεικῶς 3, Thuc.
2. of persons, "able, capable", Hdt., Xen.
b. in moral sense, "reasonable, fair, kind, gentle, good", Thuc., Plat., etc.: τοὐπιεικές "goodness", Soph.
III. adv. -κῶς, ionic -κέως, "fairly, tolerably, moderately", Lat. satis, Hdt., Ar.; τέως μὲν ἐπ. for some "little" time, Plat.
2. "probably, reasonably", id=Plat.
3. "with moderation, kindly", Plut.