cordial
Americanadjective
noun
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a strong, sweetened, aromatic alcoholic liquor; liqueur
-
a stimulating medicine.
-
anything that invigorates or exhilarates.
adjective
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warm and friendly
a cordial greeting
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giving heart; stimulating
noun
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a drink with a fruit base, usually sold in concentrated form and diluted with water before being drunk
lime cordial
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another word for liqueur
Usage
What does cordial mean? Cordial means friendly and polite.It used to describe people and their behavior toward others in social situations, especially when they do not know each other well.When you treat people cordially, you treat them with a sincere friendliness and warmth. A cordial greeting is a warm and friendly one, especially one intended to make someone feel welcome.The quality of being cordial is cordiality.Cordial can also be used as a noun meaning a sweetened liquor (more commonly called a liqueur) or a kind of nonalcoholic fruit-based drink, like lime cordial. Example: My parents were always very cordial and welcoming when I brought new friends home.
Other Word Forms
- cordially adverb
- cordialness noun
- precordial adjective
- quasi-cordial adjective
- supercordial adjective
- supercordialness noun
- uncordial adjective
- uncordialness noun
Etymology
Origin of cordial
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin cordiālis, equivalent to Latin cordi- (stem of cor ) “heart” + -ālis adjective suffix; heart ( def. ), -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Michael insists that his behind-the-scenes discussions with Amodei were always polite and cordial.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
The cordial conversation Monday lasted about eight minutes, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told journalists Wednesday during her regular morning news conference.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026
But the acrimony seemed to dissipate following a "cordial" phone call between the two leaders, which a Colombian official later described as an 180-degree turn "from both sides".
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026
I have always been close with my mother, and I also have a cordial relationship with my stepfather’s children.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026
Aibileen is no more than cordial with me, nervous, stands at the kitchen sink and never stops working.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
