hospitable
Americanadjective
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receiving or treating guests or strangers warmly and generously.
a hospitable family.
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characterized by or betokening warmth and generosity toward guests or strangers.
a hospitable smile.
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favorably receptive or open (usually followed byto ).
to be hospitable to new ideas; a climate hospitable to the raising of corn.
adjective
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welcoming to guests or strangers
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fond of entertaining
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receptive
hospitable to new ideas
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hospitable
First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin hospitā(re) “to receive as guest” (compare Latin hospitārī “to be a guest”; see hospitium) + -ble
Explanation
When someone makes you feel comfortable and at home, that person is being hospitable, providing a warm, friendly environment. Anything hospitable is welcoming and open. A Greek proverb suggested that in being hospitable, the main feeling should be good will. The basis for the word hospitable is the Latin hospes, which refers to welcoming a guest, a word that evolved into meaning "to entertain." Consider that being hospitable means, as someone once said, “making your guests feel at home, even though you wish they were.” In other words, entertaining them. (You can also “entertain” new ideas with an open, hospitable mind.)
Vocabulary lists containing hospitable
100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 5
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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.
It’s no surprise that more than a few famous transplants have decided to relocate to this hospitable location.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
"Together, this would make nearby development more viable and transform a disorganised industrial estate into an area that is hospitable to both current and future residents," they said.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
While Tarlov was grateful for his advice, her book praises current Fox News Chief Executive Suzanne Scott for creating a workplace culture that is much more hospitable to women.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Climate change is making some parts of Canada more hospitable to insects that weaken trees, making them more susceptible to fire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Meanwhile, the other half remained in Beringia, which was then comparatively hospitable.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
