cordial
Americanadjective
noun
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cordials
plural
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a strong, sweetened, aromatic alcoholic liquor; liqueur
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a stimulating medicine.
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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
Derived Forms
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cordialnessnoun
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supercordialnessnoun
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uncordialnessnoun
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precordialadjective
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quasi-cordialadjective
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supercordialadjective
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uncordialadjective
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cordiallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
The older brother and I are cordial to each other.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
South Korea has long pursued cordial ties with its neighbours who may be at odds with its ally, the US.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
The visit at Gracie Mansion marked the third sit-down between Trump and Mamdani, who have developed a cordial in-person give and take.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The German reputation for being cautious and meticulous in diplomatic matters is well deserved, and the three previous national governments have had relatively cordial relations with Russia.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
I asked, just to get things going in a cordial kind of way.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Britvic makes a range of consumer soft drinks and cordials, including the kind of flavored mixer that analysts see taking up a greater share of sales in bars and pubs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
Lately, it's offered a wider range of sparkling drinks and cordials.
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026
Bartenders around the world have experimented with endless pairings of teas, herbs, cordials, juices, coffees, spices, spirits, and flavor combinations.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2023
Now combined into a single storefront, the current retail space retains raffish details of its liquor-store days, including a retro red-and-blue neon sign and period gilt window lettering advertising cognacs and cordials.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 28, 2022
One should pluck up a spirit and live upon cordials, when one can have no other nourishment.
From English Lands Letters and Kings Queen Anne and the Georges by Donald G. Mitchell
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.
