Crossword Dictionary
cordial
cordial - a
politely warm and friendly; "a cordial handshake"
sincerely or intensely felt; "a cordial regard for his visitor's comfort"; "a cordial abhorrence of waste"
synonyms
amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, friendly, genial, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, matey [chiefly British], neighborly, palsy, palsy-walsy [slang], warm, warmhearted
in a sentence
We received a cordial greeting from our hostess at the party.
The two nations have maintained cordial relations.
etymology
c. 1400, "of or pertaining to the heart" (a sense now obsolete or rare, replaced by cardiac), from Medieval Latin cordialis "of or for the heart," from Latin cor (genitive cordis) "heart," from PIE root *kerd- "heart." Meaning "heartfelt, proceeding from the heart as the supposed seat of kindly feelings" is from mid-15c. Related: Cordiality.
The noun meaning "something that invigorates" is from late 14c., originally "medicine, food, or drink that stimulates the heart." Meaning "sweet or aromatic liquor" is from 1610s.