hospitality

American  

[hos-pi-tal-i-tee] / ˌhɒs pɪˈtæl ɪ ti /

noun

• hospitalities
  plural

1. 

   the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.

   Hospitality at the hotel is fantastic, with staff who offered us refreshing drinks and comfortable chairs while we waited to check in.

2. the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

   In many cultures, hospitality plays a significant role in social interactions, as individuals are often judged by their ability to extend kindness and generosity toward others.

   Synonyms:

   friendliness, geniality, cordiality, warmth

3. the business or act of providing accommodation, food, drink, and other services to guests (often used attributively).

   She has held several executive-level positions in hospitality.

   This course will appeal to students who want to make a career for themselves in the hospitality industry.

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hospitality British  

/ ˌhɒspɪˈtælɪtɪ /

noun

1. kindness in welcoming strangers or guests

2. receptiveness

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hospitalities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of hospitality

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English hospitalite, from Middle French, from Latin hospitālitās, from hospitāli(s) “of a guest, hospitable” ( see hospital) + -tās -ty ²

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Explanation

A reputation for hospitality means you're known for being kind and welcoming to visitors, which may also mean that you always have a full house at Thanksgiving. Hospitalitem is a Latin word meaning "friendliness to guests," so it's not hard to see where the word hospitality comes from. Showing hospitality involves making others feel comfortable and welcome in your home. If you're grumpy and prefer to be left alone, this word probably won't ever be used to describe you, nor are you likely headed for a career in the hospitality industry.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hospitality hospitalities

This way, your friends can still buy you a drink if that’s what they’re used to doing on birthdays, and you get to keep your hospitality tradition, but in a more affordable way.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

This is the problem with imagining hospitality as another task that can be optimized.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

"Often they can be tourism or hospitality businesses, so they're having to educate their customers what to do."

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Many prestige events and newly built venues also include an increased proportion of hospitality ticketing, which can drive up costs for fans wanting standard tickets.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Never once in their dialogues did I hear a syllable of regret at the hospitality they had extended to me, or of suspicion of, or aversion to, myself.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

“I would love to see us kind of have more of an F1-style approach to a race weekend and how we host hospitalities, parties, just all those things,” Hamlin said.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2021

We were sad to leave the Senn residence, and thankful for their kind hospitalities, vowing to come soon for another visit.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Enter," said the prince to Marsyas, "into the unctuous hospitalities of Agrippa's palace."

From Saul of Tarsus A Tale of the Early Christians by Elizabeth Miller

In all human probability, Louis Philippe will never look again upon the face of our Queen Victoria, or partake of her hospitalities, or be permitted to pour his dulcet deceit into her ears.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 373, November 1846 by Various

We had succeeded in securing a house that was a veritable palace and admirably arranged for entertaining, so that we were well able to reciprocate the attentions of our colleagues and extend proper hospitalities.

From Under Four Administrations From Cleveland to Taft by Oscar S. Straus

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Related Words

• accommodation
• companionship
• friendliness
• generosity
• reception
• warmth

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