I. cor ‧ di ‧ al 1 /ˈkɔːdiəl $ ˈkɔːrdʒ ə l/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
1 . British English sweet fruit juice that you add water to before you drink it:
lime cordial
2 . American English old-fashioned a strong sweet alcoholic drink SYN liqueur :
an after-dinner cordial
II. cordial 2 BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: cordialis , from Latin cor 'heart' ]
friendly but quite polite and formal:
The talks were conducted in a cordial atmosphere.
—cordiality /ˌkɔːdiˈæləti, ˌkɔːdiˈælɪti $ ˌkɔːrdʒiˈæ-, kɔːrˈdʒæ-/ noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
▪ friendly behaving towards someone in a way that shows you like them and are ready to talk to them or help them:
a friendly smile
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The local people are very friendly.
▪ warm [usually before noun] friendly and caring about other people, in a way that makes people like you and feel comfortable:
He was such a warm caring person and everyone loved him.
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We received a very warm welcome.
▪ nice especially spoken friendly and kind:
Chris is a nice guy. I’m sure you’ll get on with him.
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He wasn’t very nice to the other children.
▪ amiable /ˈeɪmiəb ə l/ formal friendly and easy to like:
Tom was an amiable young man.
▪ welcoming friendly to someone who has just arrived somewhere:
a welcoming smile
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The group are very welcoming to new members.
▪ hospitable friendly and eager to make visitors comfortable:
I found Japanese people to be very hospitable.
▪ genial formal behaving in a cheerful and friendly way:
a genial host
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She was in a genial mood.
▪ cordial formal friendly and polite but formal:
The two nations have always maintained cordial relations.
▪ approachable friendly and easy to talk to – used especially about people in important positions:
The head teacher is very approachable.