social

[soh-shuh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR social ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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 the poor.

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: social websites such as Facebook; the use of social software to share expertise.See also social media.

Zoology. living habitually together in communities, as bees or ants.Compare solitary(def 8).

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.

Origin of social

1555–65; < Latin sociālis, equivalent to soci(us) partner, comrade + -ālis -al¹

Related formsso·cial·ly, adverbso·cial·ness, nounhy·per·so·cial, adjectivehy·per·so·cial·ly, adverbin·ter·so·cial, adjectivenon·so·cial, adjectivenon·so·cial·ly, adverbnon·so·cial·ness, nouno·ver·so·cial, adjectiveo·ver·so·cial·ly, adverbpre·so·cial, adjectivepseu·do·so·cial, adjectivepseu·do·so·cial·ly, adverbun·so·cial, adjectiveun·so·cial·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for social

civil, communal, cordial, group, familiar, collective, community, general, common, societal, sociable, nice, amusing, communicative, companionable, convivial, entertaining, gracious, gregarious, hospitable

Examples from the Web for social

Contemporary Examples of social

He finished second in 2008 behind John McCain, and maintains a reservoir of good will among Republican social conservatives.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?
Lloyd Green
January 4, 2015
The TVA, a federally owned and chartered electric power provider, is a New Deal legacy just like Social Security.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern
Lloyd Green
January 2, 2015
One blames black Americans as a race; the other, racism as a social structure.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters
James Poulos
January 1, 2015
Social media forces us to not only be vulnerable for our partner but for the whole world.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating
Ellie Schaack
January 1, 2015
Or you may not have many—or any—friends, recasting your social exclusion as brave defiance of social norms.
The Refuseniks Hiding From ‘Happy New Year’
Lizzie Crocker
December 31, 2014

Historical Examples of social

Communism maintains that social wrongs can be corrected only by violence.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
He dealt with the question on theological, legal and social grounds.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
After their return in the summer he began to write his book, The Social Order.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
"To come home and read, or spend a social evening with a friend," George answered.
Life in London
Edwin Hodder
He had for years been writing of family and social duties; here was his illustration!
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for social

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, etca social club

relating to or engaged in social servicesa 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 coloniessocial bees Compare solitary (def. 6)

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

noun

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

Derived Formssocially, adverbsocialness, noun

Word Origin for social

C16: from Latin sociālis companionable, from socius a comrade

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for social

adj.

late 15c., "devoted to or relating to home life;" 1560s as "living with others," from Middle French social (14c.) and directly from Latin socialis "of companionship, of allies; united, living with others; of marriage, conjugal," from socius "companion, ally," probably originally "follower," from PIE *sokw-yo-, suffixed form of root *sekw- (1) "to follow," and thus related to sequi "to follow" (see sequel). Cf. Old English secg, Old Norse seggr "companion," which seem to have been formed on the same notion). Related: Socially.

Sense of "characterized by friendliness or geniality" is from 1660s. Meaning "living or liking to live with others; companionable, disposed to friendly intercourse" is from 1720s. Meaning "of or pertaining to society as a natural condition of human life" first attested 1695, in Locke. Sense of "pertaining to fashionable society" is from 1873.

Social climber is from 1893; social work is 1890; social worker 1904. Social drink(ing) first attested 1976. Social studies as an inclusive term for history, geography, economics, etc., is attested from 1916. Social security "system of state support for needy citizens" is attested from 1908. Social butterfly is from 1867, in figurative reference to "flitting."

Social contract (1849) ultimately is from Rousseau. Social Darwinism attested from 1887. Social engineering attested from 1899. Social science is from 1811. In late 19c. newspapers, social evil is "prostitution." Social justice is attested by 1718; social network by 1971; social networking by 1984.

"friendly gathering," 1870, from social (adj.). In late 17c. it meant "a companion, associate."