social
Americanadjective
-
relating to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations.
a social club.
-
seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious.
-
of, relating to, connected with, or suited to polite or fashionable society.
a social event.
-
living or disposed to live in companionship with others or in a community, rather than in isolation.
People are social beings.
-
of or relating to human society, especially as a body divided into classes according to status.
social rank.
-
involved in many social activities.
We're so busy working, we have to be a little less social now.
-
of or relating to the life, welfare, and relations of human beings in a community.
social problems.
-
noting or relating to activities designed to remedy or alleviate certain unfavorable conditions of life in a community, especially among poor people.
-
relating to or advocating the theory or system of socialism.
-
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 websites such as Facebook;
the use of social software to share expertise.
-
Zoology. living habitually together in communities, as bees or ants.
-
Botany. growing in patches or clumps.
-
Rare. occurring or taking place between allies or confederates.
noun
-
a social gathering or party, especially of or as given by an organized group.
a church social.
-
Digital Technology. social media.
photos posted to social.
adjective
-
living or preferring to live in a community rather than alone
-
denoting or relating to human society or any of its subdivisions
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of the experience, behaviour, and interaction of persons forming groups
-
relating to or having the purpose of promoting companionship, communal activities, etc
a social club
-
relating to or engaged in social services
a social worker
-
relating to or considered appropriate to a certain class of society, esp one thought superior
-
(esp of certain species of insects) living together in organized colonies Compare solitary
social bees
-
(of plant species) growing in clumps, usually over a wide area
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
socialnessnoun
-
hypersocialadjective
-
intersocialadjective
-
nonsocialadjective
-
pseudosocialadjective
-
unsocialadjective
-
sociallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of social
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
Explanation
If you are social, you like to be around people. A social butterfly is someone who is social or friendly with everyone, flitting from person to person, the way a butterfly might. The word social comes from the Latin socius meaning "friend." When you're being social, you're everyone's friend. Go to a social, or mixer, and you might make a lot of new friends. Stand in the corner pouting, however, and you're being anti-social. Humans are described as social beings — ones that tend to move or live in groups together, like penguins!
Vocabulary lists containing social
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
We the People: Soc
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
As well as her sporting success, she is also popular on social media with more than 117,000 Instagram followers.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Thank you, Mark Zuckerberg, for enabling effortless social interaction worldwide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Those programs include mental health treatment, housing support, youth development and other social services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Its focus on social media led marketing is also rooted in how people discover events these days, she adds.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
There are more social activities, including a cooperative farm.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
"Ultimately these photos have been gathered from a National Police Bravery Award nomination by Hampshire Constabulary, posted by Hampshire Constabulary on their socials years ago," she said.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
"Hi guys. Sorry I've had a few days away from my socials but I just needed a small bit of time after my game to recover and rest," Bunting posted.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025
"Taking away our socials is just taking away how we talk to each other," Breanna says.
From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2025
“We often didn’t have a salary, but we kept working just to keep the socials alive.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025
“Our brother school, River Vale, is right across the lake, and we have socials and dances and whatever with them all the time. Almost every other weekend.”
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
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.
