social

[ soh-shuhl ]

/ ˈsoʊ ʃəl /

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See synonyms for: social / socials / socially 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 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: 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.

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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 -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM social

so·cial·ly, adverbso·cial·ness, nounhy·per·so·cial, adjectivein·ter·so·cial, adjective

non·so·cial, adjectivepseu·do·so·cial, adjectiveun·so·cial, adjective

Words nearby social

Socceroos, Soche, Sochi, sociability, sociable, social, social accounting, social action, Social and Liberal Democratic Party, social anthropology, social assistance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use social in a sentence

Clubhouse did not respond to a request for comment on if or how the app does this, but it’s something to consider before you connect your social media accounts.
You’ve been invited to Clubhouse. Your privacy hasn’t.|Sara Morrison|February 12, 2021|Vox
There’s so much social support at school that is not necessarily accessible.
The loneliness of an interrupted adolescence|Ellen McCarthy|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Since being a working parent of young kids, though, I find I just absolutely cannot stand social events where I'm going to have to spend precious minutes asking questions of strangers about their work and what shows they're watching or whatever.
Carolyn Hax: No time for small talk? That’s building a big wall.|Carolyn Hax|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
The young owner apparently wanted to show off his famous head coach, asking him to attend more social events and to join him for dinner at Washington’s power eateries.
Marty Schottenheimer’s legacy can be measured in teams’ regret over letting him go|Leonard Shapiro|February 9, 2021|Washington Post

Many of these developers are working on social problems on their own time, using open-source software that they can share globally.
The rise of the activist developer|Walter Thompson|February 9, 2021|TechCrunch
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|DAILY BEAST
Where the force generating those threats is a widespread, self-sustaining, and virulent social movement?
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
To others the fierce desire for social justice obliterates all fear of a general catastrophe.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
And our views of poverty and social betterment, or what is possible and what is not, are still largely conditioned by it.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Our social life is aimless without it, we are a crowd without a common understanding.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
And an educational movement is more tenacious than any other sort of social or political movement whatever.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

British Dictionary definitions for social

social

/ (ˈsəʊʃəl) /

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 forms of social

socially, 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

social

Origin of social

OTHER WORDS FROM social

Words nearby social

Words related to social

How to use social in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for social

Derived forms of social

Word Origin for social