socialize

American  

[soh-shuh-lahyz] / ˈsoʊ ʃəˌlaɪz /

especially British, socialise

verb (used with object)

• socializes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• socialized,
  past participle,  past
• socializing
  present participle

1. to make social; make fit for life in companionship with others.

2. to make socialistic; establish or regulate according to the theories of socialism.

3. Education. to treat as a group activity.

   to socialize spelling quizzes.

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verb (used without object)

• socializes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• socialized,
  past participle,  past
• socializing
  present participle

1. to associate or mingle sociably with others.

   to socialize with one's fellow workers.

socialize British  

/ ˈsəʊʃəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (intr) to behave in a friendly or sociable manner

2. (tr) to prepare for life in society

3. (tr) to alter or create so as to be in accordance with socialist principles, as by nationalization

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• socializer
  noun
• resocialize
  verb
• oversocialize
  verb (used with object)
• socializable
  adjective
• unsocializable
  adjective
• unsocialized
  adjective
• unsocializing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• socializing
  present
• socialized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• socialize
  simple
• socializes
  simple
• have socialized
  perfect
• has socialized
  perfect
• am socializing
  progressive
• are socializing
  progressive
• is socializing
  progressive
• have been socializing
  perfect progressive
• has been socializing
  perfect progressive

Past

• socialized
  simple
• had socialized
  perfect
• was socializing
  progressive
• were socializing
  progressive
• had been socializing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will socialize
  simple
• will have socialized
  perfect
• will be socializing
  progressive
• will have been socializing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of socialize

First recorded in 1820–30; social + -ize

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Explanation

When you socialize, you participate in activities in a group setting. If you have been studying alone for some time, you might take a break at the coffee shop to socialize with some friends. You can socialize somebody else, or educate her in social patterns. Parents socialize their kids through their upbringing, and clubs often socialize their members through a uniform. If you want to hang out with motorcyclists, you might want to dress in leather. It is also possible to socialize institutions, where benefits are open to a wide section of society. If voters socialize medicine, that service becomes available to all at government expense.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

socialize socializes socialized socializing

They need to socialize a language of accountability that promotes rule of law, democracy, and due process while eschewing talk of retribution, retaliation, or political payback.

From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026

I went there daily to help him socialize.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

Meals can be a time to socialize and deepen bonds with family and friends.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026

The 36-year-old said the crop of new clubs attract young people looking for spaces to work, socialize and network.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

She did not like us to socialize too much with the partying side of Daddy’s family.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride

One of the few Turks in Karagümrük who socializes with the Syrians, he argues that the latter—devout Sunni Muslims who flock to the local mosques—are “our votes in the future.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

He works in an office plaza, lives in a shoebox apartment with vellum-thin walls and socializes at his choice of nearby casual dining establishments with names like Flingers and Chotchkie's Bar & Grill.

From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2024

The group shoots and socializes near the Spheres for 15 minutes before embarking on a walk through downtown.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 29, 2023

Mr. Khan socializes with F.B.I. agents, prison guards, military lawyers and top prison officials during “religious feasts, social meetings and meetings regarding detention-related issues,” Colonel Jemmott said in an affidavit.

From New York Times ● Aug. 9, 2022

I start to see that the Internet is the way she travels; the way she socializes; the way she feels like part of things.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

I have a truth for you: Men are socialized to assert themselves and unabashedly pursue what they desire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

That can be tricky, too, since women have likewise been socialized to expect men to suck it up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

“In Western cultures and especially in the U.S., men are just socialized this way,” says Dr. Drew Adelman, a clinical psychologist in Atlanta, GA.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Men — and this is not an excuse — are often not socialized to step in on these terms.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025

The point is not that without that salon blacks wouldn’t have socialized with whites on the North Side.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Americans spend less time socializing, and have fewer close friends, than they did a decade ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Cats coming off the street may have a hard time socializing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Speaking of that: It’s not too late to join our series of challenges to help you rediscover the beauty of socializing in a pre-smartphone era.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

So after reading what felt like the hundredth article declaring that my generation had abandoned alcohol, nightlife and socializing altogether, I started wondering whether I was missing something.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

That way, we avoided any attention from being seen socializing with cops.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore

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Related Words

• entertain
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• mingle

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