hospitable

adjective hos·pi·ta·ble \ hä-ˈspi-tə-bəl , ˈhä-(ˌ)spi- \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of hospitable

1 a : given to generous and cordial reception of guests

a kind, hospitable people

they are hospitable … : give a guest everything, and leave him free to do as he likes
—Bram Stoker

b : promising or suggesting generous and friendly welcome

hospitable faces

c : offering a pleasant or sustaining environment

grows in even the least hospitable climates

2 : readily receptive : open

hospitable to new ideas

—

hospitably

play \hä-ˈspi-tə-blē, ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-\ adverb

See hospitable defined for English-language learners

See hospitable defined for kids

Examples of hospitable in a Sentence

The people of that country are very hospitable.
It's a hearty plant that grows in even the least hospitable climates.
elderly people moving to Florida for its hospitable climate

Recent Examples of hospitable from the Web

That information will help explain why Earth emerged so much bigger and more hospitable than Mars, and will help guide the search for life on planets around other stars.

— NBC News, "7 ways NASA's InSight mission will go where no Mars explorer has before," 4 May 2018
Another perennially popular title (also from 2007), Timothy Ferriss’s The 4-Hour Workweek caters to disillusioned workers who have ceased to believe that there is any hospitable workplace.

— rachel paige king, Longreads, "Is Your Job Lynchian, or Is It More Kafkaesque?," 26 Apr. 2018
And there’s confidence in President Emmanuel Macron, who succeeded Hollande last May. Tax laws have also become more hospitable.

— nancy trejos, USA TODAY, "Dream homes: Five tempting properties for sale in Paris," 11 Apr. 2018
Microbiologically, soft cheeses are more hospitable environments for pathogens (like Listeria) than hard, dry cheeses.

— liz thorpe, Bon Appetit, "Wait, So What Cheese Can You Eat While Pregnant?," 23 Apr. 2018
While Indianapolis temperatures should be more hospitable in September than in July, the Brickyard could now be facing an even tougher opponent than the heat: the Colts.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Why Colts schedule is bad news for the Brickyard," 19 Apr. 2018
Moreover, planets can whip around red dwarfs in orbits closer than Mercury's, and still have hospitable climates.

— daniel clery, Science | AAAS, "Updated: NASA’s new satellite brings the search for Earthlike exoplanets closer to home," 19 Apr. 2018
The first batch of whales seen would show up to check which ones in the whaling crew would be more hospitable.

— krista langlois, Smithsonian, "Why Scientists Are Starting to Care About Cultures Who Talk to Whales," 6 Apr. 2018
Even undisturbed land has become less hospitable with the cycle of natural wildfires interrupted and rivers and streams dammed.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "A third of nation’s wildlife at risk of disappearing, report says | Miami Herald," 29 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of hospitable

circa 1570

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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hospitable Synonyms

HOSPITABLE Defined for English Language Learners

hospitable

adjective

Definition of hospitable for English Language Learners

: generous and friendly to guests or visitors
: having an environment where plants, animals, or people can live or grow easily
: ready or willing to accept or consider something