geniality
Americannoun
-
the fact or quality of being warmly and pleasantly cheerful; cordiality.
Here you will find goodwill and loyalty from a friendly staff, who greet you with genuine northern warmth and geniality.
-
the fact or quality of being favorable for life, growth, or comfort.
This part of California combines that geniality of soil and climate essential for the production of a light and highly flavored wine.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of geniality
First recorded in 1600–10, for an earlier sense; from Late Latin genialitas, from Latin geniāli(s) genial 1 ( def. ) + -tās -ty 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Geniality is a fancy word for friendliness. We show geniality when we are pleasant, kind, and nice to be around. People usually like other people who show geniality. Synonymous with amiability and affability, this word has to do with being friendly and approachable. Mean, scary people show no geniality at all. Smiling, giving compliments, laughing, listening to others, and helping out are all signs of geniality. If you think about the people you like, part of what you like is probably their geniality — they're congenial.
Vocabulary lists containing geniality
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
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Challenge, List 1
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A Room of One's Own
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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.
Denied, he settles for iced tea, but encourages me to eat with the geniality and concern of a grandparent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
His real-life geniality provides a stark contrast to some of his most famous roles as monstrous men committing equally hideous deeds.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Mostly they are dignified snapshots of him shaking hands with dignitaries and voters, offering up that big, gleaming expression of geniality that was his signature, walking across a tarmac or delivering a speech.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 21, 2023
The veteran soloist, Emanuel Ax, seemed to be searching for a middle ground between his pearly geniality and Payare’s starker phrasing, and the results sounded unsettled.
From New York Times ● Dec. 2, 2022
All the assurance and geniality had gone out of his manner.
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
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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.
