social

[ soh-shuhl ]

adjective

1. relating to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations:

   a social club.

2. seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious.
3. of, relating to, connected with, or suited to polite or fashionable society:

   a social event.

4. living or disposed to live in companionship with others or in a community, rather than in isolation:

   People are social beings.

5. of or relating to human society, especially as a body divided into classes according to status:

   social rank.

6. involved in many social activities:

   We're so busy working, we have to be a little less social now.

7. of or relating to the life, welfare, and relations of human beings in a community:

   social problems.

8. noting or relating to activities designed to remedy or alleviate certain unfavorable conditions of life in a community, especially among poor people.
9. relating to or advocating the theory or system of socialism.
10. Digital Technology. noting or relating to online technologies, activities, etc., that promote companionship or communication with friends and other personal contacts: the use of social software to share expertise. social media.

    social websites such as Facebook;

    the use of social software to share expertise.

11. Zoology. living habitually together in communities, as bees or ants. Compare solitary ( def 8 ).
12. Botany. growing in patches or clumps.
13. Rare. occurring or taking place between allies or confederates.

noun

1. a social gathering or party, especially of or as given by an organized group:

   a church social.

2. Digital Technology. social media ( def ):

   photos posted to social.

social

/ ˈsəʊʃəl /

adjective

1. living or preferring to live in a community rather than alone
2. denoting or relating to human society or any of its subdivisions
3. of, relating to, or characteristic of the experience, behaviour, and interaction of persons forming groups
4. relating to or having the purpose of promoting companionship, communal activities, etc

   a social club

5. relating to or engaged in social services

   a social worker

6. relating to or considered appropriate to a certain class of society, esp one thought superior
7. See solitary
   (esp of certain species of insects) living together in organized colonies Compare solitary

   social bees

8. (of plant species) growing in clumps, usually over a wide area

noun

1. an informal gathering, esp of an organized group, to promote companionship, communal activity, etc

Derived Forms

• ˈsocialness, noun
• ˈsocially, adverb

Other Words From

• social·ly adverb
• social·ness noun
• hyper·social adjective
• inter·social adjective
• non·social adjective
• pseudo·social adjective
• un·social adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of social¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, Middle French, from Latin sociālis, equivalent to soci(us) “partner, comrade, ally” (derivative of sequī “to follow”) + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of social¹

C16: from Latin sociālis companionable, from socius a comrade

Example Sentences

Clubhouse did not respond to a request for comment on if or how the app does this, but it’s something to consider before you connect your social media accounts.

From Vox

There’s so much social support at school that is not necessarily accessible.

From Washington Post

Since being a working parent of young kids, though, I find I just absolutely cannot stand social events where I'm going to have to spend precious minutes asking questions of strangers about their work and what shows they're watching or whatever.

From Washington Post

The young owner apparently wanted to show off his famous head coach, asking him to attend more social events and to join him for dinner at Washington’s power eateries.

From Washington Post

Many of these developers are working on social problems on their own time, using open-source software that they can share globally.

From TechCrunch

He finished second in 2008 behind John McCain, and maintains a reservoir of good will among Republican social conservatives.

From The Daily Beast

Where the force generating those threats is a widespread, self-sustaining, and virulent social movement?

From The Daily Beast

The TVA, a federally owned and chartered electric power provider, is a New Deal legacy just like Social Security.

From The Daily Beast

Social media forces us to not only be vulnerable for our partner but for the whole world.

From The Daily Beast

One blames black Americans as a race; the other, racism as a social structure.

From The Daily Beast

All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.

From Project Gutenberg

To others the fierce desire for social justice obliterates all fear of a general catastrophe.

From Project Gutenberg

And our views of poverty and social betterment, or what is possible and what is not, are still largely conditioned by it.

From Project Gutenberg

Our social life is aimless without it, we are a crowd without a common understanding.

From Project Gutenberg

And an educational movement is more tenacious than any other sort of social or political movement whatever.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• civil
• communal