Definitions

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

  • noun A pleasant and affable disposition; geniality.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Frank and simple good-heartedness; a good-natured manner.

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

  • noun good nature; pleasant and easy manner.

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

  • noun Geniality; friendliness; a pleasant, friendly, good-natured manner; an affable and approachable disposition; frank and simple good-heartedness.
  • noun Friendly atmosphere; an atmosphere of good cheer.

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

  • noun a disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)

Etymologies

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

[French, from bonhomme, good-natured man : bon, good (from Latin bonus; see deu- in Indo-European roots) + homme, man (from Latin homō; see dhghem- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Borrowed from French bonhomie; from bonhomme ("good-natured man"); from bon ("good") + homme ("man").

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Examples

  • The manners of the time had obviously a _bonhomie_ of their own -- certainly so on our particularly indulgent and humane little field; as to which general proposition the later applications and transformations of the bonhomie would be interesting to trace.

    A Small Boy and Others Henry James 1879

  • At this particular moment in our nation, ironic bonhomie is no substitute for making a stone cold sober decision to turn our political will into greater political power.

    Kate Clinton: Resort to Hannity Kate Clinton 2010

  • If Lakshmi Mittal was expecting just a smidgen of bonhomie from the French government over his hostile offer for Arcelor, he's a naive soul indeed.

    U.K. Faces Of The Week, Feb. 27 - March 3 Forbes.com staff 2006

  • (This bonhomie is borne out in testimonial after testimonial in the documentary Hugh Hefner: American Playboy.

    Are We Not Men? 2007

  • (This bonhomie is borne out in testimonial after testimonial in the documentary Hugh Hefner: American Playboy.

    Are We Not Men? 2007

  • The self effacement is uneccessary and merely invites "consensus building" and bonhomie, which is fucking pathetic and part of the problem with Franlin's little domesticated neverland to flog a dead horse

    Question EAGEAGEAG 2009

  • I believe this is the first time I have ever used the word "bonhomie" in anything I have ever written.

    Tallulah Morehead: Survivor 21: Infants vs Senior Citizens: Fetuses Gone Wild! Tallulah Morehead 2010

  • I believe this is the first time I have ever used the word "bonhomie" in anything I have ever written.

    Tallulah Morehead: Survivor 21: Infants vs Senior Citizens: Fetuses Gone Wild! Tallulah Morehead 2010

  • Yeoville house exudes the kind of bonhomie that could only be borne of an Irish-Afrikaner union, and he loves his job at the Development Bank; particularly his daily interaction with Afrikaners he once spurned.

    Marius Schoon dies of cancer, aged 61 1999

  • The very antipodes to the 'bonhomie' of this figure, confronted him as croupier at the foot of the table.

    The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer — Complete Charles James Lever 1839

Comments

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  • Hetty Green

    Queen of supply-side bonhomie bone-drab

    (Know what I mean?) (*)

    On the road

    It's well advised that you follow your own bag

    In the year of the chewable Ambien tab

    (Calamity song, by The Decemberists)

    (*) No.

    January 19, 2011