Conviviality Definition & Meaning

Other Words from convivial

conviviality \ kən-ˌvi-vē-ˈa-lə-tē

\ noun

convivially \ kən-ˈviv-yə-lē

, -ˈvi-vē-ə-lē \ adverb

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Convivial traces to "convivium," a Latin word meaning "banquet," and tends to suggest a mood of full-bellied joviality. Charles Dickens aptly captures that sense 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."

Examples of convivial in a Sentence

the hiking club attracts a wide range of convivial people who share a love of the outdoors

Recent Examples on the Web The rides into the nearby mountains were communal and convivial. — Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2022 Dahmen, a popular, convivial presence on the tour known for the bucket hat that rarely comes off his head on the golf course, matched Morikawa with a steady round of 68 after shooting 67 in the first round. — Bill Pennington, New York Times, 17 June 2022 Pat was direct, didn’t mince words, was convivial at times and gruff, when necessary. — Annie Nickoloff, cleveland, 16 June 2022 The entire floor converses with the animated and inanimate elements that surround it, while a play of steps moves the circulation flow on the platform and turns it into a convivial place that relates to its surroundings. — Nel-olivia Waga, Forbes, 16 May 2022 The mood at the service was convivial but also thoughtful. — Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, 3 June 2022 Such as raclette, the cheese that's melted in a communal, convivial setting — among friends and family at home, or served in a restaurant. — Carol Deptolla, Journal Sentinel, 24 May 2022 At Le Carillon, a convivial place for a coq au vin as France prepares to vote in a critical election, the heated political debates that always characterized past campaigns have fallen silent, as if the country were anesthetized. — New York Times, 9 Apr. 2022 At Le Carillon, a convivial place for a coq au vin as France prepares to vote in a critical election, the heated political debates that always characterized past campaigns have fallen silent, as if the country were anesthetized. — Roger Cohen, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'convivial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.