Cordiality

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kɔːɹˈd͡ʒæl.ɪ.tiː/

Definitions

1. A friendly and pleasant demeanor that promotes positive interactions is often seen as a vital component of social engagements
2. A quality of genuine warmth and friendliness that fosters goodwill between people
3. An expression of heartfelt kindness and welcoming behavior shown toward others

Etymology: "Cordiality" is built from "cordial" plus the suffix "-ity", and the heart is hiding in the first part. "Cordial" comes from Medieval Latin "cordialis", from Latin "cor" (heart), so the word originally meant something like "from the heart." Its earliest English sense was closer to "invigorating" or "restorative": a cordial was a medicine or drink thought to strengthen the heart, and only later did the adjective come to describe warm, sincere feeling between people. The suffix has a longer journey. The "-ity" ending descends from Latin "-itas", which French took up as "-ité" and passed to Middle English as "-ite." Attached to adjectives, it turns a quality into a noun, so "cordiality" names the state of being cordial. English adopted the ending in this way, building many abstract nouns on the same model, and "cordiality" follows that pattern exactly.

Synonyms: friendliness, warmth, affability

Antonyms: hostility, coldness