cordial

1 of 2

adjective

cor·​dial ˈkȯr-jəl 

1

a

: showing or marked by warm and often hearty friendliness, favor, or approval

a cordial welcome

: politely pleasant and friendly

two nations maintaining cordial relations

b

: sincerely or deeply felt

a cordial dislike for each other

2

: tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate

bottles full of excellent cordial waters

—Daniel Defoe

3

obsolete : of or relating to the heart : vital

cordially

ˈkȯrj-lē 

ˈkȯr-jə-

adverb

cordialness

ˈkȯr-jəl-nəs 

noun

cordial

2 of 2

noun

1

: liqueur

2

: a stimulating medicine or drink

Did you know?

The Latin root cord- (or cor) is at the heart of the connection between cordial, concord (meaning “harmony”), and discord (meaning “conflict”). Cord- means “heart,” and each of these cord- descendants has something to do with the heart, at least figuratively. Concord, which comes from com- (meaning “together” or “with”) plus -cord, suggests that one heart is with another. Discord combines the prefix dis- (meaning “apart”) with -cord to imply that hearts are apart. Hundreds of years ago, cordial could mean simply “of or relating to the (literal) heart” (the -ial is simply an adjective suffix) but today anything described as cordial—be it a friendly welcome, a compliment, or an agreement—comes from the heart in a figurative sense. Cordial is also used as a noun to refer to a usually sweet liqueur, the name being inspired by the idea that a cordial invigorates the heart.

Synonyms

Adjective

• warm
• friendly
• gracious

Choose the Right Synonym for cordial

gracious, cordial, affable, genial, sociable mean markedly pleasant and easy in social intercourse.

gracious implies courtesy and kindly consideration.

the gracious award winner thanked her colleagues

cordial stresses warmth and heartiness.

our host was cordial as he greeted us

affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to conversation or requests or proposals.

though wealthy, she was affable to all

genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality.

a genial companion with a ready quip

sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others.

sociable people who enjoy entertaining

Examples of cordial in a Sentence

Adjective

… Conrad Black was cordial and not the least rumbustious. —Calvin Trillin, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2001

Though its chairman, Charles Obi, was cordial to him, the others made it clear that they didn't want him. —Ishmael Reed, Japanese by Spring, 1993

My reception was cordial enough … —Robert Frost 7 Jan. 1913, in Selected Letters of Robert Frost, edited by Lawrance Thompson,  1964

Mr. Price now received his daughter; and having given her a cordial hug, and observed that she was grown into a woman … —Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814

We received a cordial greeting from our hostess at the party.

The two nations have maintained cordial relations.

Noun

It was fortunate that the boys never tested Alyce's magic, for the bottle she shook so fiercely at them was naught but blackberry cordial she was to deliver to Old Anna … —Karen Cushman, The Midwife's Apprentice, 1995

A boy is said to become a man when he can sip the 140-proof anise-seed cordial without wincing. —Paul L. Montgomery, New York Times, 6 Sept. 1965

"In this bottle," he said, "there is a cordial made of the juice of one of the fire-flowers that grow in the mountains of the sun. If you or any of your friends are hurt, a few drops of this will restore you." —C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, 1950

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Offers were made during cordial conversations rather than sending anything formal, for example, over email. —Simon Johnson, New York Times, 4 July 2025

The roughly two-hour hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday was mostly cordial. —Erika Edwards, NBC news, 25 June 2025

Noun

The cocktails here are a study in balance; the harsh edges of spirits are expertly rounded down by cordials, fruit wines, and other ferments (all of which are made in-house) without sacrificing complexity. —Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 June 2025

And because Leonessa takes cues from Italy, expect a rotating menu of complimentary aperitivo-style snacks and a cocktail list full of spritzes, bitters, martinis, plus plenty of amari, vermouth, and cordials. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English cordiall "of the heart, cardiac, invigorating, deeply felt," borrowed from Medieval Latin cordiālis, from Latin cord-, cor "heart" + -iālis -ial

Noun

Middle English, "stimulating substance," borrowed from Medieval Latin cordiāle, noun derivative from neuter of cordiālis "of the heart, invigorating" — more at cordial entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

cordial

1 of 2 noun

cor·​dial ˈkȯr-jəl 

1

: a stimulating medicine or drink

2

: liqueur

cordial

2 of 2 adjective

1

: tending to refresh or cheer

2

: being warm and friendly

cordial greeting

cordiality

ˌkȯr-jē-ˈal-ət-ē

noun

cordially

ˈkȯrj-(ə-)lē

adverb

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English cordial "of the heart, vital," from Latin cordialis (same meaning), from cor "heart" — related to courage

Medical Definition

cordial

noun

cor·​dial ˈkȯr-jəl 

: an invigorating and stimulating medicine, food, or drink