gregarious
Americanadjective
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enjoying the company of others
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(of animals) living together in herds or flocks Compare solitary
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(of plants) growing close together but not in dense clusters
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of, relating to, or characteristic of crowds or communities
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gregarious
First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin gregārius “belonging to a flock,” from greg- (stem of grex ) “crowd, flock, herd” + -ārius -ary ( def. )
Explanation
If you know someone who's outgoing, sociable, and fond of the company of others, you might want to call her gregarious. The word was originally used to describe animals that live in flocks — it's from the Latin word grex, meaning "herd." Not surprisingly, people began using it to describe humans who liked being in groups. Today biologists still speak of gregarious species, but you're more likely to hear it in reference to people. Despite what you might suspect, it has no historical connection to the name Gregory — but if you know an outgoing fellow with that name, you could call him Greg-arious.
Vocabulary lists containing gregarious
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"He was very gregarious - Someone who truly loved people!"
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
The gregarious Bowe has been a star in the small speedskating world since she set her first world record in 2013.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026
Seward was intensely ambitious and gregarious, and “fled family life,” once writing to Frances, “I could not be well or happy at home.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026
According to friends and family, Vinit was a gregarious person who liked to explore the world and had many friends.
From Slate • Dec. 8, 2025
“I walk down the street and I feel good about it every day,” Miele, a gregarious figure with twinkling blue eyes and a taste for worn T-shirts and jeans, said of his neighborhood.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
