What does "cordial" mean?
A concentrated non-carbonated soft drink which is diluted with water before drinking.
Cordial
/ˈkɔɹ.di.əl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A concentrated non-carbonated soft drink which is diluted with water before drinking.
- Grammar: cordial is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: liqueur, ablaze, affable, affable.
- Useful contrasts: acrimonious, frostier, gelid.
- Usage evidence: I express my cordial thanks for what you have done for this city.
How to use "cordial"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cordial" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cordial" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cordial" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cordial" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cordial" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "liqueur" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cordial", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A concentrated non-carbonated soft drink which is diluted with water before drinking. Australia, New-Zealand, UK
"Both supplement and taste-matched placebo were consumed in 70 ml of fruit cordial and 150 ml of water, which were drunk within a 5-min period."
- 2 strong highly flavored sweet liquor usually drunk after a meal wordnet
- 3 An individual serving of such a diluted drink. Australia, New-Zealand, UK
- 4 A pleasant-tasting medicine.
- 5 A liqueur prepared using the infusion process.
"1728, John Gay, The Beggar's Opera, Act III, Scene 1, in 1828, British Theatre, Comprising Tragedies, Comedies, Operas, and Farces, 827, Lucy. But, miss Polly—in the way of friendship, will you give me leave to propose a glass of cordial to you ? Polly. Strong waters are apt to give me the headache.—I hope, madam, you will excuse me?"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A candy (or bonbon) usually made of milk chocolate, filled with small fruits (often maraschino cherries) and syrup or fondant.
- 7 Anything that revives or comforts, a stimulant.
"Never had Fanny more wanted a cordial. Never had she felt such a one as this letter contained."
Adjective
- 1 Hearty; sincere; warm; affectionate.
"I have a cordial dislike for arachnids."
- 2 Radiating warmth and friendliness; genial.
"The sight of London warmed my heart with various emotions, such as a cordial man must draw from the heart of all humanity."
- 3 Tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate; giving strength or spirits. rare
"I vvas baptized in thy Cordiall vvater, againſt Original ſinne, and I haue drunke of thy Cordiall Blood, for my recouerie, from actuall, and habituall ſinne, in the other Sacrament."
- 4 Proceeding from the heart. obsolete
"Who stooping op'n'd my left side, and took / From thence a Rib with cordial spirits warm, / And Life-blood streaming fresh;"
Adjective
- 1 diffusing warmth and friendliness wordnet
- 2 sincerely or intensely felt wordnet
- 3 politely warm and friendly wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"I express my cordial thanks for what you have done for this city."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cordial"?
Common synonyms include: liqueur, ablaze, affable, affable, affable, affectionate.
How do you use "cordial" in a sentence?
I express my cordial thanks for what you have done for this city.
How do you pronounce "cordial"?
Pronounced /ˈkɔɹ.di.əl/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English cordial, from Old French cordial, from Medieval Latin cordiālis (“of the heart”), from cor (“heart”).