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Definition of cordialnext
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cordial

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word cordial different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of cordial are affable, genial, gracious, and sociable. While all these words mean "markedly pleasant and easy in social intercourse," cordial stresses warmth and heartiness.

our host was cordial as he greeted us

When could affable be used to replace cordial?

The synonyms affable and cordial are sometimes interchangeable, but affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to conversation or requests or proposals.

though wealthy, she was affable to all

When is genial a more appropriate choice than cordial?

In some situations, the words genial and cordial are roughly equivalent. However, genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality.

a genial companion with a ready quip

In what contexts can gracious take the place of cordial?

The words gracious and cordial can be used in similar contexts, but gracious implies courtesy and kindly consideration.

the gracious award winner thanked her colleagues

When is it sensible to use sociable instead of cordial?

While the synonyms sociable and cordial are close in meaning, sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others.

sociable people who enjoy entertaining

How is the word cordial different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of cordial are affable, genial, gracious, and sociable. While all these words mean "markedly pleasant and easy in social intercourse," cordial stresses warmth and heartiness.

our host was cordial as he greeted us

When could affable be used to replace cordial?

The synonyms affable and cordial are sometimes interchangeable, but affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to conversation or requests or proposals.

though wealthy, she was affable to all

When is genial a more appropriate choice than cordial?

In some situations, the words genial and cordial are roughly equivalent. However, genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality.

a genial companion with a ready quip

In what contexts can gracious take the place of cordial?

The words gracious and cordial can be used in similar contexts, but gracious implies courtesy and kindly consideration.

the gracious award winner thanked her colleagues

When is it sensible to use sociable instead of cordial?

While the synonyms sociable and cordial are close in meaning, sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others.

sociable people who enjoy entertaining

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cordial
Adjective
The seemingly quaint and cordial sport of curling was rocked by cheating allegations during the Winter Games. Sallee Ann Harrison, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026 The latest Justice Department files detail years of cordial correspondence between Pritzker, Epstein, and Maxwell after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
To wit, cordials, shrubs and kombuchas are all made in-house, inspired by seasonality. Brad Japhe, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025 There was bad news for American whiskey, however, which was down by nearly two percent (more than $5 billion) and cordials (down 3.6 percent). Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cordial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cordial
Adjective
  • A day later, both sides were outside during breaks enjoying an unseasonably warm mid-March day in Manhattan.
    Doug Feinberg, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Shawkat, with her warm, amused eyes and her mop of curls, is a perfect carrier for Mae’s air of abjection, flopping around her bed like a horny, gloomy Raggedy Ann.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Jeffrey and the girls were very gracious hosts.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Knight Acknowledged the Bond Between the Teams Even while addressing a situation that could easily breed division, Knight was gracious toward her male counterparts.
    Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Senior Homes Editor Betsy Watson's grandmother always had a batch of this cool and refreshing salad chilling in the fridge for guests.
    Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Even all-white sneakers with silver accents can inject a refreshing hint of modernity.
    Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • And today, free tuition could be the PR tonic California needs to brighten its faded image across America.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
  • On the nonalcoholic side, there’s a Bitter Mule with botanical tonic and ginger or housemade shrubs, a notably refreshing one made with persimmon, champagne vinegar and clove ($8).
    John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • In other words, the sun may not have arrived in a life-friendly environment purely by chance, but rather as a consequence of the formation of the galactic bar.
    Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The seizure has angered Ukrainian authorities, who accused Hungary's Russia-friendly government of acting illegally.
    JUSTIN SPIKE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • People who hear about HAARP today do so in an information environment that is extremely hospitable to paranoia.
    Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Thus, the wrecking ball came for the Purple Passion Pit and the rest of the complex, a monument to a fading but wonderfully hospitable era of Chicago entertainment and local entrepreneurship.
    Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Conditions at the facility deteriorated in its final year of operation, as chronic violence and the stockpiling of weapons and drugs threatened the safety of employees and inmates.
    Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The operator of the e-scooter was arrested on suspicion of operating a bicycle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and DUI causing bodily injury, after officers conducted several field sobriety tests, police said.
    Jose Fabian, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Nobody has successfully transferred consciousness from one nervous system to another or shown that this is possible, says Alysson Muotri, a professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego, who is a pioneer in brain organoid research.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 8 Mar. 2026
  • As medicine becomes more personalized, things like biomarkers—a broad subcategory of medical signs including glucose regulation, muscle retention indicators, and circadian rhythm metics—are contributing to a better understanding of long-term risk patterns and aging.
    Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 8 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cordial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cordial. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

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