Hospitality: Definition, Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：friendly welcome (hospitality)

hospitality 🔊

/ˌhɒspɪˈtæləti/

being warm, friendly, and generous to guests or visitors, making them feel welcome.

Hospitality illustrated: A smiling host offering food to a happy guest in a warm, cozy dining room.

friendly welcome 🔊

➕

/ˈfrendli ˈwelkəm/

The friendly, generous, and warm reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'hospitālis' (hospitable), related to 'hospes' (host, guest, stranger).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a **HOSPITAL** where the staff is incredibly kind and welcoming. 'Hospital-ity' extends that care to guests in your home.

📖 Example

We spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents‘ house, and their hospitality was amazing-a huge dinner and lots of laughter. 🔊 We spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents' house, and their friendly welcome was amazing—a huge dinner and lots of laughter.

🔗 Collocations

show hospitality – To demonstrate a warm and generous welcome to guests.

hospitality industry – The business sector that provides services like accommodation, food, and drink to travelers and tourists.

warm hospitality – A particularly friendly, comfortable, and kind reception.

🔄 Synonyms

welcome (n.) – A friendly or kindly greeting or reception.

friendliness (n.) – The quality of being kind and pleasant.

generosity (n.) – Willingness to give or share, often in the context of providing for guests.

🚫 Antonyms

hostility (n.) – Unfriendly or aggressive behavior or feelings.

🌱 Derivatives

hospitable (adj.) – Friendly and welcoming to guests or strangers.

hospitalize (v.) – To admit or cause someone to be admitted to a hospital for treatment.

📖 Cultural Story

The concept of hospitality (from Latin 'hospitalitas') was a sacred duty in many ancient cultures, like Greece's 'xenia'. This deep historical root connects being a host ('hospes') to welcoming a stranger as a guest.