cordiality
Americannoun
-
cordial quality or feeling.
- Synonyms:
- heartiness, geniality, friendliness, warmth
-
an expression of cordial feeling.
noun
Usage
What does cordiality mean? Cordiality is the quality of being cordial—friendly and polite. Cordial is used to describe people and their behavior toward others in social situations, especially when they do not know each other well. A cordial greeting is a warm and friendly one, especially one intended to make someone feel welcome. When you treat people with cordiality, you treat them with a sincere friendliness and warmth. Example: Even when I don’t like my coworkers, I try to treat them with cordiality.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of cordiality
Explanation
Cordiality is a characteristic of being friendly and agreeable. Your habit of smiling and saying hello to everyone you pass on the street is evidence of your cordiality. People who show cordiality are polite, kind, and pleasant, but the word implies a bit of reserve: you might appreciate the cordiality among the employees at your after-school job, but your relationships with your closest friends and family are characterized by an emotion deeper than cordiality. At the root of cordiality is the Latin word cor, or "heart."
Vocabulary lists containing cordiality
The Fire Next Time
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"Old World Landowners" by Nikolai Gogol
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Persuasion
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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.
Cordiality prevails, at least outwardly, when Rickard and Potter meet today.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2023
Cordiality permeated the neighborhood as Parker, CSU’s athletics director, and other representatives of the university and the city of Fort Collins mingled with residents.
From Washington Times • Aug. 24, 2017
Photograph: Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images Cordiality is disconcerting in a sport more accustomed to animosity, but Sir Alex Ferguson does not hesitate to call Carlo Ancelotti "a good lad".
From The Guardian • Aug. 7, 2010
Cordiality, however, did not survive that first Administration.
From Time Magazine Archive
Cordiality of conversation must not blind our eyes to seriousness of situation.
From My Three Years in America by Bernstorff, Johann Heinrich Andreas Hermann Albrecht Graf von
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.
