adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of convivial
First recorded in 1660–70; from Late Latin convīviālis “festal,” equivalent to Latin convīvi(um) “feast” ( convīv(ere) “to live together, dine together” ( con- con- + vīvere “to live”) + -ium -ium ) + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Use the adjective convivial to describe your friend who is "the life of the party." The Latin word convivium means "a feast," and when convivial was first coined in the 1660s, its meaning related to the excess of food and drink during such celebrations. You can also see convivial in convivere, meaning "to carouse together." Just when it seemed all convivial could ever do was describe people who overindulge, a new shade of meaning emerged: loving to be around people. After all, a big part of feasting is being with people you care about.
Vocabulary lists containing convivial
The Great Gatsby
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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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 restaurant’s seasonally shifting dishes are served in a convivial dining room with a lively atmosphere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
To Vasquez’s shock, attendees were instead convivial, even friendly.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
What sets Houdon’s Franklin apart from the other two is that in those depictions the polymath seems silenced and solitary, compared with Houdon’s convivial treatment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
On Wednesday, the 12 visiting players took time during their practice round to sign hundreds of autographs and pose for selfies on a largely convivial morning at Bethpage.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2025
I led Dr Meredith downstairs, showed him into the billiard room, then returned quickly to the smoking room where the atmosphere, if anything, had grown even more convivial.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
