convivial
adjective
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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
Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 11 June 2025
The overall atmosphere of the restaurant is cozy and convivial.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 8 June 2025
The picnic spirit is casual, convivial, the opposite of formal.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
Recipes for everything from ceviche mixto with popcorn (!) to flan to sweet plantains are sure to delight, and the book’s chatty, convivial tone is likely to linger in your mind long after the meal has been consumed and the dreaded dinner dishes are done.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 7 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Convivial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convivial. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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