Standard Lemma guide

congeniality

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /kənˌd͡ʒiːniˈælɪti/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ælɪti
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N JH IY2 N IY0 AE1 L AH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality of being congenial; the state of being agreeable or of having similar tastes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Eugenie was known for her congeniality; she could easily fit in to virtually any group of people and have a good time.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a congenial disposition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: uncongeniality

Broader terms: friendliness

3

noun

Meaning 3

compatibility between persons

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: congenialness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: compatibility

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English con- Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh1-der. Latin genius Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin geniālisbor. Middle French génialbor. English genial English congenial Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English congeniality From congenial + -ity.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: حَرَارَة (ḥarāra) — quality of being congenial
  • French: sociabilité — quality of being congenial
  • German: Gleichgesinntheit — quality of being congenial
  • German: Wesensgleichheit — quality of being congenial
  • German: Ähnlichkeit — quality of being congenial
  • Italian: congenialità — quality of being congenial
  • Manx: cocheintys — quality of being congenial
  • Portuguese: congenialidade — quality of being congenial
  • Romanian: congenialitate — quality of being congenial