genial
1 Americanadjective
adjective
-
cheerful, easy-going, and warm in manner or behaviour
-
pleasantly warm, so as to give life, growth, or health
the genial sunshine
adjective
Other Word Forms
- geniality noun
- genially adverb
- genialness noun
Etymology
Origin of genial1
First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin geniālis “festive, jovial, pleasant,” equivalent to geni(us), a tutelary deity, the spirit of social enjoyment + -ālis -al 1; genius ( def. )
Origin of genial2
1825–35; < Greek génei ( on ) chin, derivative of gén ( ys ) jaw (compare Latin gena ) + -al 1
Explanation
If you're friendly and outgoing, you're genial. You can be a genial host or a genial guest. This is mainly a word for pleasant kindness. Besides people or animals, climates and weather can be genial, which means they too are warm and sunny — good for growing things. In older literature, genial might have something to do with marriage and family, and sometimes brilliance, as in genius. Those uses are very rare nowadays, as is the sense of genial as having to do with the jaw. These days, warmth and friendliness are the main meanings.
Vocabulary lists containing genial
Fast Food Nation
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Grade 10, List 6
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"The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton
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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.
When the genial 77-year-old Albany Law School graduate walked into his courtroom in lower Manhattan last week, he was presiding over a single refund case—involving a filtration company—that no one was watching.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026
A formidable scholar with a genial talent for storytelling, he amplifies his archival research with personal investigation of the places and surviving objects from his subject’s life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
RFK Jr.’s more genial video version shows him sipping a glass of milk and being dreamily transported to a lively dance floor.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026
His genial demeanour and penchant for folksy parables belie a past as a wily guerrilla fighter and ruthless political survivor.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
Catelyn was assigned a place on the dais between red-faced Lord Mathis Rowan and genial Ser Jon Fossoway of the green-apple Fossoways.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
