What's the difference between cordial and gracious?

Cordial


Definition:

  • (a.) Proceeding from the heart.
  • (a.) Hearty; sincere; warm; affectionate.
  • (a.) Tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate; giving strength or spirits.
  • (n.) Anything that comforts, gladdens, and exhilarates.
  • (n.) Any invigorating and stimulating preparation; as, a peppermint cordial.
  • (n.) Aromatized and sweetened spirit, used as a beverage; a liqueur.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The low pH carbonated drink, coca-cola, and a blackcurrent cordial produced no effects.
  • (2) As the final whistle blew, Wenger, suddenly wreathed in smiles, hugged his staff, players and even Alan Pardew, a managerial rival with whom he has not always enjoyed the most cordial of technical area relations.
  • (3) The prime minister arrived in Brussels on Tuesday lunchtime for what was expected to be his final set-piece EU summit before he steps down promising that that UK would remain cordial in the exit talks.
  • (4) Non-carbonated, low-calorie soft drink concentrates (cordials), when diluted according to manufacturers' instructions, had significant antibacterial effects in vitro.
  • (5) On the surface, US-South African relations are cordial and have improved since the presidencies of George Bush and Thabo Mbeki, though Washington's intervention in Libya alienated many here.
  • (6) Naturally contaminated water can be rendered potable by incubation with cordials at room temperature for 1 h. This may be a way to reduce the risk of water-borne diarrhoea, particularly where the cleanliness of drinking waters cannot be otherwise assured, for example when making up oral rehydration fluids and for travellers in high-risk areas.
  • (7) Yet Clements still has to deal with the Sassenachs down at the ITV network centre on a weekly basis, saying that relationships are "on a professional and personal level very cordial".
  • (8) Both sides will inevitably stress the friendly, cordial nature of the Downing Street meeting, and Hollande's style is conciliatory and non-confrontational.
  • (9) The Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper, who spoke on the phone with Marois in what was described as a "cordial first contact", said he was "angered and saddened" by the shooting.
  • (10) In the intervening year of can-kicking, you could argue that nothing's changed in terms of the options offered, from Brussels and Frankfurt, to Athens: they are still cordially enjoined to stick with the programme or leave the euro, and that programme is still one that nobody with a real choice would ever vote for.
  • (11) Cordiality, an easy intimacy with the Brazilian people and the game of football could only get a president so far.
  • (12) With allegations of cheap practice flying like left hooks around the Olympic boxing tournament, it took an Englishman and an Irishman to settle their legitimate sporting argument with admirable cordiality, Luke Campbell getting the better of John Joe Nevin to win Great Britain's 28th gold medal of the Games.
  • (13) A toast, marmalade optional, to Colin Firth, who has quit a film version of Paddington with a grace befitting this most cordial of bears.
  • (14) Coyle is a parliamentary newbie elected only in May, so we might cordially warn him and all those Labour and Conservative MPs who have shrieked about “bullying” that they spent this week in presentational danger of reducing a bombing campaign to what Alfred Hitchcock called a MacGuffin – “a plot device that motivates the characters and advances the story”, but which is often unimportant in itself.
  • (15) But it shouldn’t be too much to ask for cordial and businesslike relations to be established with Jewish groups.
  • (16) But it is understood that while Ivanovic appreciated the call, which was cordial, he stopped short of accepting the apology.
  • (17) After the event Crowley described the discussion as "cordial and positive".
  • (18) Last month, in a report of Sarkozy's visit to Berlin to discuss the Greek crisis, Der Spiegel wrote: "The welcome will once again appear very cordial… Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel will also work the cameras this time around … a kiss on the left cheek, a peck on the right one, smiles and waving.
  • (19) Alban said she held "cordial and constructive" talks with the government at the FCO.
  • (20) But experts say the public enthusiasm masks profound suspicions and even animosity and believe the behind-the-scenes conversations have the potential to be far less cordial.

Gracious


Definition:

  • (a.) Abounding in grace or mercy; manifesting love,. or bestowing mercy; characterized by grace; beneficent; merciful; disposed to show kindness or favor; condescending; as, his most gracious majesty.
  • (a.) Abounding in beauty, loveliness, or amiability; graceful; excellent.
  • (a.) Produced by divine grace; influenced or controlled by the divine influence; as, gracious affections.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) When asked if climate scientists get sick of being asked about records by headline hungry media, he graciously laughed, and said: "For a particular month there is very little significance.
  • (2) Earlier Labour's interim leader, Harriet Harman, told the first post-election meeting of the (PLP) to be "gracious" in defeat.
  • (3) 'I couldn't imagine a worse scenario than not enjoying being Thor, because it's gonna consume a good 10 years of my life' Hemsworth, a gentle giant who seems both grateful and gracious, talks passionately about Thor, with no winking and no weariness.
  • (4) The first tweet was a Qu'ranic phrase in Arabic, meaning: "In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful."
  • (5) The leader of the opposition, Bill Shorten, who sponsored similar legislation earlier this year, deserves credit for pushing the issue forward, and even greater credit for his graciousness in standing aside for the cross-party bill.
  • (6) Over the past year, facilitated by the steering group of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network we were invited through email, personal study, and virtual conferencing, to begin considering how we might live out, with urgency and in hope, the Fifth Mark of Mission “to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.” Our reflections entered a new depth when, in February 2015, ACEN chair Archbishop Thabo Makgoba graciously hosted a face to face meeting in South Africa.
  • (7) "McElderry took his defeat graciously, saying: "Fair play to the guys who have organised the Facebook campaign – it's been exciting to be part of a much-hyped battle and they definitely deserve congratulations.
  • (8) * Christine spelled 'defense' and 'offense' in the American style, but I graciously changed them to proper English for her.
  • (9) I always thought The Kumars and Goodness Gracious Me could never have appeared on any other channel; they were BBC2 products.
  • (10) if this was to have been his last game for New York – and possibly the last of his career – he was gracious enough to leave the limelight to the victors.
  • (11) Nina Wadia, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar in the BBC2 comedy sketch show Goodness Gracious Me.
  • (12) On stage with Iggy Pop (left) and Ricky Gardiner (centre) in 1978: ‘Back then he was very spontaneous.’ Photograph: Getty Images But he's a very normal, gracious person.
  • (13) It adds: "As we pursue this community-based approach to school construction, Raising Malawi would like to graciously return the land in Chinkhota granted to us by the government for the original Raising Malawi Academy for Girls project."
  • (14) Djokovic, who remains world No1 was gracious in defeat.
  • (15) "We were graciously received by His Royal Highness, who responded in these terms 'What the bloody hell are you doing here?'
  • (16) As late as 2012, the gracious address contained flecks of modernising reform – the (largely delivered) move to abolish male primogeniture in the monarchy and the (entirely aborted) effort at electing the Lords.
  • (17) The Zona Rosa was fashioned by the city's europhile elite after the revolution; they named its streets after European cities, and built gracious European residences for themselves and the émigrés among them.
  • (18) The Goodness Gracious Me team are reuniting to do a one-off special, we're all very happy to be back together, to commemorate the show and BBC2.
  • (19) He was gracious about Romney, talking not only about his challenger but his father, the former governor of Michigan.
  • (20) It was the Afro-Caribbean Goodness Gracious Me, but before that show.