cordial

adjective cor·dial \ ˈkȯr-jəl \

Definition of cordial

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

play \ˈkȯrj-lē, ˈkȯr-jə-\ adverb

—

cordialness

play \ˈkȯr-jəl-nəs\ noun

See cordial defined for English-language learners

cordial was our Word of the Day on 04/13/2010. Hear the podcast!

Examples of cordial in a Sentence

… 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.

Recent Examples of cordial from the Web

Meanwhile, Hinckley received a cordial welcome from the school board during their first joint public meeting.

— carole carlson, Post-Tribune, "Gary boys academy closed by new schools emergency manager," 10 Aug. 2017
Any night that ends with The Mezzaroba cocktail (Fernet-Branca, 12-year-old rum, house ginger cordial, and soda) is a good night.

— Bon Appetit, "Palizzi Social Club," 1 Aug. 2017
The filmmakers struck up such a cordial relationship with the property owners that the homeowners’ granddaughter ended up as Mara’s stand-in.

— cary darling, star-telegram, "North Texas filmmaker David Lowery sees dead people," 19 July 2017
But the Democratic side has been mostly cordial ... until now.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Following the money in Senate District 40," 19 July 2017
Despite language barriers and possible tensions between the countries, Trump seems to have helped establish cordial relations with these leading women.

— erika harwood, Vanities, "Melania Trump Receives an Unlikely, Hot Pink Gift in Poland," 6 July 2017
Despite language barriers and possible tensions between the countries, Trump seems to have helped establish cordial relations with these leading women.

— erika harwood, vanityfair.com, "Melania Trump Receives an Unlikely, Hot Pink Gift in Poland," 6 July 2017
The quince cordial turns out to be delicious, with lip-puckering tartness and warm spice.

— paul abercrombie, chicagotribune.com, "From Florida's Panhandle to Key West: The craft-distillery trail," 3 July 2017
Phillips called it a cordial discussion of issues, which included health care.

— dan gallo, Fox News, "Koch brothers group set to boost conservative candidates, policies with $400 million between now and 2018," 25 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

Cordial shares the Latin root cor with "concord" (meaning "harmony") and "discord" (meaning "conflict"). Cor means "heart," and each of these "cor" descendants has something to do with the heart, at least figuratively. "Concord," which comes from "con-" (meaning "together" or "with") plus "cor," suggests that one heart is with another. "Discord" combines the prefix dis- (meaning "apart") with "cor," and it implies that hearts are apart. When "cordial" was first used in the 14th century, it literally meant "of or relating to the heart," but this sense has not been in use since the 17th century. Today anything that is "cordial," be it a welcome, a hello, or an agreement, comes from the heart in a figurative sense.

Origin and Etymology of cordial

Middle English, from Medieval Latin cordialis, from Latin cord-, cor heart — more at heart

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

cordial Synonyms

Synonyms

amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, friendly, genial, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, matey [chiefly British], neighborly, palsy, palsy-walsy [slang], warm, warmhearted

Antonyms

antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly

Related Words

affable, agreeable, approachable, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, sweet; clubby, convivial, folksy, gregarious, hospitable, sociable, social; jolly, jovial, merry; extroverted (also extraverted), outgoing; brotherly, fraternal, sisterly; close, familiar, intimate; adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, lovesome, loving, tender, tenderhearted

Near Antonyms

alienated, estranged; chilly, cold, cold-blooded, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, wintry (also wintery); unsociable, unsocial; aggressive, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent; inhospitable, inimical

Synonym Discussion of 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

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

cordial

noun cor·dial \ ˈkȯr-jəl \

Definition of cordial

1 :a stimulating medicine or drink

2 :liqueur

See cordial defined for English-language learners

See cordial defined for kids

Examples of cordial in a Sentence

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 of cordial from the Web

Fine strain into rocks glass and add one large block ice. Garnish with luxarado cherry wrapped in orange peel, and serve with Sugarfina Anejo cordials.

— sam reed, The Hollywood Reporter, "Casamigos and Sugarfina Put "A Shot" of Tequila Inside Chocolate," 1 June 2017
The cocktails are more than just highly Instagrammable: Created by Nicolas Baptiste of Experimental Cocktail fame, all juices, purees, syrups, and cordials are made on-site.

— alison beckner, Condé Nast Traveler, "Where to Eat in Tulum, Mexico This Year," 13 Apr. 2017
The new Highway in the Sky Dine-Around is a five-stop progressive dinner at three resorts, concluding with dessert, cordials, and a private patio viewing of the nightly fireworks show over Cinderella Castle.

— valerie marino, CNT, "Walt Disney World and Disney Parks: What's New in 2017," 9 Feb. 2017

Origin and Etymology of cordial

see ¹cordial

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

finish, gimlet, mull, sake, setup, sommelier, syllabub, vintner, wassail

CORDIAL Defined for English Language Learners

cordial

adjective

Definition of cordial for English Language Learners

: politely pleasant and friendly

cordial

noun

Definition of cordial for English Language Learners

: a sweet alcoholic drink
: a drink of heavy fruit juice that is mixed with water

CORDIAL Defined for Kids

cordial

adjective cor·dial \ ˈkȯr-jəl \

Definition of cordial for Students

:warm and friendly

a cordial host

—

cordially

adverb

You are cordially invited.

Word Root of cordial

The Latin word cor, meaning “heart,” and its form cordis give us the root cord. Words from the Latin cor have something to do with the heart. When there is discord, or disagreement, hearts are apart. When there is accord, or agreement, hearts have moved together. Anything that is cordial, such as a welcome, comes from the heart.