Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Cordial and generous reception of or disposition toward guests.
  • noun An instance of cordial and generous treatment of guests.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act or practice of one who is hospitable; reception and entertainment of strangers or guests without reward, or with liberality and kindness.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act or practice of one who is hospitable; reception and entertainment of strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests
  • noun business The business of providing catering, lodging and entertainment service.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun kindness in welcoming guests or strangers

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English hospitalite, from Old French, from Latin hospitālitās, from hospitālis, of a guest; see hospital.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French hospitalité, from Latin hospitalitas ("hospitality"), from hospitalis ("hospitable"), from hospes ("guest", "host"). Displaced native Old English giest-líðnys ("guestliness"), from giest ("guest").

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