societal

[ suh-sahy-i-tl ]

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to large social groups, or to their activities, customs, etc.

societal

/ səˈsaɪətəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to society, esp human society or social relations

Derived Forms

• soˈcietally, adverb

Other Words From

• so·cie·tal·ly adverb
• anti·so·cie·tal adjective
• anti·so·cie·tal·ly adverb
• inter·so·cie·tal adjective
• nonso·cie·tal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of societal¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; societ(y) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

It’s great that we are learning from and supporting each other to have more societal impacts in our day-to-day roles.

From TechCrunch

The main societal concern she expressed on the show was that children spent too much time watching television.

From Washington Post

We won’t leave societal conflict behind by leaving Earth, Smiles says.

From Ozy

As consumer behaviors continue to morph in unexpected ways in reaction to societal and pandemic-related forces, the machines cannot succeed on their own—artificial intelligence and machine learning use historical trends and data.

From Search Engine Land

The report concluded, “The heightened expectations of business bring CEOs new demands to focus on societal engagement with the same rigor, thoughtfulness and energy used to deliver on profits.”

From Time

He becomes increasingly paranoid by the societal fixtures around him—a ticking clock, a ringing phone.

From The Daily Beast

Reformers understood that constructive societal evolution was the antidote to socialist revolution.

From The Daily Beast

Reactionaries were the industrialists, who wanted little or no societal change.

From The Daily Beast

This has engendered an understandable search for an alternative standard to measure societal well-being.

From The Daily Beast

Improving societal knowledge about the drug will be the next battlefield for the country.

From The Daily Beast

Thermonuclear weapons, complemented over time by strong conventional forces, threatened societal damage to Russia.

From Project Gutenberg

The target set encompasses both military and societal values.

From Project Gutenberg

It is, therefore, the competition of life which is the societal element, and which produces societal organization.

From Project Gutenberg

The notion of societal welfare was not wanting, although it was never consciously put before themselves as their purpose.

From Project Gutenberg

Within any such societal status the great reason for any phenomenon is that it conforms to the mores of the time and place.

From Project Gutenberg