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
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; see heart ( def. ), -al 1
Explanation
Use cordial to describe a relationship that is friendly and sincere but not overly close. A cordial greeting is perfectly pleasant but doesn't involve lots of hugging or excessive emotion. You might have cordial relationships with most of the kids in your close, but only confide in your closest friends. In Middle English, this adjective meant "of the heart," borrowed from medieval Latin cordiālis, from Latin cor, "heart." This core sense of "heart" can be seen in the synonyms heartfelt and hearty. The noun cordial originally referred to a medicine or drink that stimulates the heart, but its current sense is "a liqueur."
Vocabulary lists containing cordial
Grade 9, List 2
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More Positive Words to Describe a Person
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Body Language: Cor, Cord, Cardio ("Heart")
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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.
The Supreme Court justices try to maintain a cordial working relationship.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
And while they try to maintain a cordial working relationship, they don’t claim to be good friends.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Instead of being a stumbling block for the EU and Ukraine, Magyar has pledged to seek more cordial ties with Brussels and Kyiv.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
Monsanto—about a 186-mile drive northeast of Lisbon—is Portugal at its most primal and pagan, yet with postcards and cordial citizenry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Frodo’s spirits had risen for a while after his escape, and after food and a draught of the cordial; but now a deep uneasiness, growing to dread, crept over him again.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
