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Convivial is a cheerful word that typically suggests a mood of full-bellied delight in good food, good drink, and good company, which Charles Dickens aptly captures in his novel David Copperfield: "We had a beautiful little dinner. Quite an elegant dish of fish; the kidney-end of a loin of veal, roasted; fried sausage-meat; a partridge, and a pudding. There was wine, and there was strong ale. ... Mr. Micawber was uncommonly convivial. I never saw him such good company. He made his face shine with the punch, so that it looked as if it had been varnished all over. He got cheerfully sentimental about the town, and proposed success to it." Convivial traces back to the Latin word convivium, meaning "banquet," which in turn comes from the verb vivere, meaning "to live." The word is in good company, as vivere has breathed plenty of life into the English language; other common descendants include survive, revive, vivid, and vivacious.
Examples of convivial in a Sentence
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
From a sophisticated suburban crowd to the Bobo’s of the right bank, every type of Parisian rubs shoulders with jet-setting guests in the convivial seventh-floor Art Deco brasserie meets cocktail bar, Le Tout-Paris.
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Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
In the campaign video, the Philadelphia native reminisces about the joys of her convivial upbringing.
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Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
1 June 2026
Or head to the downstairs Hop City bar for an even wider selection of beers (up to 48), the same food menu and a convivial atmosphere starting around lunchtime and lasting well into the evening.
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Kate Williams,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for convivial
Cite this Entry
“Convivial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convivial. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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