noun · 4 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
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Canada, dialectal:/ˌhɒs.pɪˈtæl.ə.ti/of the US
Canada, dialectal:[ˌhɒs.pɪˈtæl.ə.ɾi]of the US
Canada, dialectal:/ˌhɒs.pɪˈtæl.ɪ.ti/of the US
Canada, dialectal:[ˌhɒs.spɪˈtæl.ɪ.ɾi]of the US
Ireland:/hɑs.pəˈt̞al.ə.t̞i/
/häs.pəˈʔæl.ə.ʔi/Dublin
/häs.pəˈhæl.ə.ʔi/Dublin
rhymes with -ælɪti
CMU ARPABET:HH AA2 S P AH0 T AE1 L AH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests; an appropriate attitude of openness, respect, and generosity toward guests.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
Please thank our hosts for their hospitality during the week that we stayed.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: guestfriendship
Antonyms: inhospitality
2
noun
Meaning 2
The business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service; the industry which includes the operation of hotels, restaurants, and similar enterprises.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: business
Examples
After graduating from college, she found a job in hospitality.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The food, drink, and entertainment given to customers by a company or organization or provided to visitors by a private host.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
kindness in welcoming guests or strangers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cordial reception
Antonyms: inhospitality
Broader terms: welcome
History
Etymology
From Middle English hospitalite, from Old French hospitalité (modern French hospitalité), from Latin hospitālitās (“hospitality”), from hospitālis (“hospitable”), from hospes (“guest", "host”). Displaced native Old English cumlīþnes (literally “guest gentleness”).
Across languages
Translations
133 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
كَرَم
(karam)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Arabic:
إِكْرَام
(ʔikrām)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Arabic:
ضِيَافَة
(ḍiyāfa)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Arabic:
قِرًى
(qiran)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Armenian:
հյուրընկալություն
(hyurənkalutʻyun)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Armenian:
հյուրասիրություն
(hyurasirutʻyun)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Azerbaijani:
qonaqsevərlik
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Bashkir:
ҡунаҡсыллыҡ
(qunaqsıllıq)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Belarusian:
гасці́ннасць
(hascínnascʹ)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Belarusian:
гасьці́ннасьць
(hasʹcínnasʹcʹ)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Bulgarian:
гостоприе́мство
(gostopriémstvo)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Burmese:
ဧည့်ဝတ်
(e-ny.wat)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Catalan:
hospitalitat
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Chinese Mandarin:
好客
(hàokè)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Chinese Mandarin:
款待
(kuǎndài)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Chinese Mandarin:
招待
(zhāodài)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Czech:
pohostinnost
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Danish:
gæstfrihed
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Dutch:
gastvrijheid
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Esperanto:
gastameco
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Esperanto:
gastamo
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Estonian:
külalislahkus
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Finnish:
vieraanvaraisuus
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
French:
hospitalité
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Galician:
hospitalidade
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Georgian:
სტუმართმოყვარეობა
(sṭumartmoq̇vareoba)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
German:
Gastfreundlichkeit
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
German:
Gastfreundschaft
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
German:
Gastlichkeit
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Gothic:
𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌲𐍉𐌳𐌴𐌹
(gastigōdei)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Greek:
φιλοξενία
(filoxenía)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Ancient Greek:
φιλοξενία
(philoxenía)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Ancient Greek:
ξενῐ́ᾱ
(xenĭ́ā)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Hebrew:
הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים
(hachnasát orḥím)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Hindi:
आतिथ्य
(ātithya)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Hindi:
सत्कार
(satkār)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Hindi:
मेहमाननवाज़ी
(mehmānnavāzī)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Hungarian:
vendégszeretet
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Irish:
fáilte
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Irish:
cóir
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Irish:
gart
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Italian:
ospitalità
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Japanese:
款待
(kantai)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Japanese:
持て成し
(motenashi)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Japanese:
厚情
(kōjō)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Kashmiri:
پٔژھِل
(pạċhil)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Kashmiri:
پٔژھؠ لٲز
(pạċh' lạ̄z)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Kashmiri:
میٚہمان نَوٲزی
(mehmān navạ̄zī)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Kazakh:
қонақжайлылық
(qonaqjailylyq)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Kazakh:
мейманшылық
(meimanşylyq)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Korean:
환대
(hwandae)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Kyrgyz:
меймандостук
(meymandostuk)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Latin:
hospitālitās
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Latin:
hospitium
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Latvian:
viesmīlība
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Lithuanian:
svetingumas
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Macedonian:
гостопримство
(gostoprimstvo)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Macedonian:
гостољубивост
(gostoljubivost)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Macedonian:
гостољубие
(gostoljubie)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Māori:
taurima
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Māori:
manaaki
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Māori:
manaakitanga
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Maranao:
sakasakaw
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Mongolian:
зочлон хүндлэх явдал
(zočlon xündlex javdal)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Norwegian Bokmål:
gjestfrihet
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Old English:
cumlīþnes
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Old English:
ġiestlīþnes
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Persian:
مهماننوازی
(mehmân-navâzi)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Polish:
gościnność
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Portuguese:
hospitalidade
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Romanian:
ospitalitate
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Russian:
гостеприи́мство
(gostepriímstvo)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Russian:
раду́шие
(radúšije)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Russian:
хлебосо́льство
(xlebosólʹstvo)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Serbo-Croatian:
гостољу̀биво̄ст
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Serbo-Croatian:
гостопри́мство
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Serbo-Croatian:
госто̀љӯбље
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Serbo-Croatian:
gostoljùbivōst
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Serbo-Croatian:
gostoprímstvo
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Serbo-Croatian:
gostòljūblje
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Slovak:
pohostinnosť
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Slovene:
gostoljubje
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Spanish:
hospitalidad
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Swedish:
gästfrihet
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Tagalog:
mabuting pakikitungo
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Tajik:
меҳмоннавозӣ
(mehmonnavozi)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Tatar:
кунакчыллык
(qunaqçıllıq)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Telugu:
అతిథిసత్కారము
(atithisatkāramu)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Turkish:
konukseverlik
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Turkish:
mihmandarlık
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Turkish:
misafirperverlik
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Turkmen:
myhmansöýerlik
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Ukrainian:
гости́нність
(hostýnnistʹ)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Urdu:
مہمان نوازی
(mehmān-navāzī)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Uzbek:
mehmondoʻstlik
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Vietnamese:
lòng mến khách
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Yiddish:
הכנסת־אורחים
(hakhnoses-orkhim)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Yiddish:
גאַסטפֿרײַנדלעכקײַט
(gastfrayndlekhkayt)
— act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
Arabic:
ضِيَافَة
(ḍiyāfa)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Armenian:
սպասարկում
(spasarkum)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Czech:
pohostinství
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Danish:
service
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Dutch:
horeca
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Finnish:
hotelli- ja ravintola-ala
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
French:
hôtellerie-restauration
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Georgian:
სასტუმრო ინდუსტრია
(sasṭumro indusṭria)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Georgian:
მომსახურება
(momsaxureba)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
German:
Gastgewerbe
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Hebrew:
אירוח
(erúakh)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Hindi:
सत्कार
(satkār)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Hindi:
आतिथ्य
(ātithya)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Hungarian:
vendéglátás
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Irish:
aíocht
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Irish:
fáilteachas
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Japanese:
ホスピタリティー
(hosupitaritī)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Japanese:
集客
(shūkyaku)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Korean:
호스피탤리티
(hoseupitaelliti)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Korean:
환대산업
(hwandaesaneop)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Latin:
hospitālāria
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Norwegian Bokmål:
gjestfrihet
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Polish:
obsługa
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Polish:
obsługiwanie
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Portuguese:
hotelaria
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Russian:
обслу́живание
(obslúživanije)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Russian:
гости́ничный би́знес
(gostíničnyj bíznɛs)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Russian:
хоспита́лити
(xospitáliti)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Spanish:
hostelería
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Swedish:
gästgiveri
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Swedish:
service
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Turkish:
konukseverlik
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Turkish:
mihmandarlık
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Turkish:
misafirperverlik
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
Ukrainian:
обслуго́вування
(obsluhóvuvannja)
— business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service
