congeniality

[ kuhn-jee-nee-al-i-tee ]

noun

1. the quality of being agreeable, suitable, or pleasant:

   The guest rooms combine the very latest in technology with the best facilities, comfort, and congeniality.

2. the quality of being well-matched or agreeable to each other; compatibility:

   In later years, the two men’s friendship was cemented by their intellectual and religious congeniality.

Other Words From

• un·con·ge·ni·al·i·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of congeniality¹

congenial ( def ) + -ity ( def )

Example Sentences

The man who holds ABC/ESPN's wacky goulash of World Cup punditry together strikes viewers as a paragon of congeniality.

From The Daily Beast

Unlike Miss Congeniality and its sequel, in which Bullock plays an FBI agent, this is definitely not a romantic comedy.

From The Daily Beast

Not only did Palin show off her skills as a flutist as well, but she was awarded the title of Miss Congeniality.

From The Daily Beast

Known for his easy-going California attitude, he is respected for his creativity, work ethic, and congeniality.

From The Daily Beast

Quite a few years had passed since Bullock was pulling in big box office with Miss Congeniality and Two Weeks Notice.

From The Daily Beast

Jacinth on her side was conscious of a good deal of congeniality between herself and her aunt.

From Project Gutenberg

Without congeniality there cannot be much influence, at least not in the case of so exclusive and fastidious a nature as Chopin's.

From Project Gutenberg

With regard to Bellini, Chopin's sympathy was strengthened by the congeniality of their individual temperaments.

From Project Gutenberg

Society is split into strata made up largely through community of interest, and congeniality of ideas and thoughts.

From Project Gutenberg

Nothing wears better than good sense, and nothing is more essential to permanent congeniality and usefulness.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Congeniality

What does congeniality mean?

Congeniality is the quality of being pleasant and agreeable.

Someone who’s known for their congeniality is friendly, nice, and easy to get along with. Such a person can be described as congenial.

The word congeniality is typically used to refer to a quality of a person, but it can also be used to refer to the quality of a situation or environment, as in We try to maintain a sense of congeniality and camaraderie in the office. 

Less commonly, congeniality can refer to the quality of being well matched, as in It’s a friendship based on congeniality—they share several interests. The word compatibility is a close synonym of this sense of congeniality.

Example: Jess is known around town for her congeniality—she has a kind word for everyone she meets.

Where does congeniality come from?

The first records of the word congeniality come from the 1600s. The suffix -ity is used in nouns to indicate a state or condition. The base word, congenial, is essentially a combination of con-, meaning “same” or “together,” and genial, meaning “warmly and pleasantly cheerful,” from the Latin geniālis, “festive, jovial, pleasant.”

The words congeniality and geniality can be used as synonyms. The title Miss Congeniality refers to an award given in some pageants to the contestant voted as having the most pleasant personality. It’s also sometimes used in a figurative way to refer to a person who is being extra friendly or in an ironic way to someone who is being disagreeable.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to congeniality?

• uncongeniality (noun)
• congenial (adjective)

What are some synonyms for congeniality?

• geniality
• affability
• conviviality
• amiableness
• cordiality
• agreeability
• friendliness

What are some words that share a root or word element with congeniality? 

• genial
• genius

What are some words that often get used in discussing congeniality?

• friendly
• agreeable
• pleasant
• nice
• warm
• miss
• award
• win

How is congeniality used in real life?

Congeniality is always used in a positive way. A lot of people know the word from the title Miss Congeniality (which is also the name of a movie).

Saddened by the news of Louise Slaughter's passing. In a public service career that began in 1976, Louise set an example for her fellow colleagues in her tenacity & bipartisan congeniality, as well as for other women with aspirations of running for office.

— Charlie Dent (@RepCharlieDent) March 16, 2018

"I've never worked in an atmosphere like this ever, there is a huge amount of congeniality here, a huge amount of support and everyone is working together…" https://t.co/TQKnDiO7dh

— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) March 12, 2020

Since we need more kindness and congeniality, congratulations to Dodgers fans. Particularly eight-time cable car bell ringing champ Byron Cobb who is probably as well-known for his ever-present Dodgers cap as he is for his bell ringing. #TotalSF pic.twitter.com/I2d2CY1BbB

— Heather Knight (@hknightsf) October 28, 2020

Try using congeniality!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of congeniality?

A. affability

B. conviviality

C. incompatibility

D. geniality