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jovial

adj
/ˈd͡ʒəʊ.vɪ.əl/UK/ˈd͡ʒoʊ.vɪ.əl/US/ˈd͡ʒoʊ.vəl/

Etymology

First attested in 1590; borrowed from Middle French jovial (“under the influence of Jupiter; of Jove; jovial, jolly”), from Italian gioviale (“(now obsolete) born under the influence of the planet Jupiter”) (attested in Dante, Paradiso, canto XVIII, early 14th century), from Late Latin Ioviālis (“relating to the Roman god Jupiter”), from Iuppiter, Iovis (“the Roman god Jove or Jupiter, counterpart of the Greek god Zeus”) (from Proto-Indo-European *dyew- (“to be bright; heaven, sky”)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship); analysable as Jove + -ial. Sense 1 (“cheerful and good-humoured”) refers to the fact that individuals born under the astrological influence of the planet Jupiter were believed to have that disposition.

  1. derived from *dyew-✻ — “to be bright; heaven, sky”
  2. derived from Ioviālis — “relating to the Roman god Jupiter”
  3. derived from gioviale — “(now obsolete) born under the influence of the planet Jupiter”
  4. borrowed from jovial

Definitions

  1. Cheerful and good-humoured

    Cheerful and good-humoured; jolly, merry.

    • A melancholy boddy is not the kindeſt nurſe for a chearely minde, (the joviall complexion is ſoverainly beholding to nature,) […]
    • But being ill-used by the above-mentioned widow, he was very serious for a year and a half; and though, his temper being naturally jovial, he at last got over it, he grew careless of himself, and never dressed afterwards.

  2. Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Jupiter

    Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Jupiter; having the characteristics of a person under such influence (see sense 1).

    • As ☉ is near to a ⚹ of ♃, so did a jovial man endeavour to procure the purchase (after I began), but ♃ is cadent and in detriment, which shewed he should not prevail.

  3. Pertaining to the planet Jupiter

    Pertaining to the planet Jupiter; Jovian.

  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. Pertaining to the Roman god Jove or Jupiter (the counterpart of the Greek god Zeus), the…

      Pertaining to the Roman god Jove or Jupiter (the counterpart of the Greek god Zeus), the god of the sky and thunder and the king of the gods; Jovian.

      • I know the ſhape of's Legge: this is his Hand: / His Foote Mercuriall: his martiall Thigh / The brawnes of Hercules: but his Iouiall face— / Murther in heaven?

    2. An inhabitant of the planet Jupiter

      An inhabitant of the planet Jupiter; a Jovian.

The neighborhood

Derived

jovialist, joviality, jovialize, jovially, jovialness, unjovial

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for jovial. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA