socialization

[ soh-shuh-luh-zey-shuhn ]

noun
  1. a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to their social position.

  2. the act or process of aligning with the precepts of socialism: the socialization of industry.

Origin of socialization

1
First recorded in 1885–90; socialize + -ation

Words Nearby socialization

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use socialization in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for socialization

socialization

socialisation

/ (ˌsəʊʃəlaɪˈzeɪʃən) /


noun
  1. psychol the modification from infancy of an individual's behaviour to conform with the demands of social life

  2. the act of socializing or the state of being socialized

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

Cultural definitions for socialization

socialization

Learning the customs, attitudes, and values of a social group, community, or culture. Socialization is essential for the development of individuals who can participate and function within their societies, as well as for ensuring that a society's cultural features will be carried on through new generations. Socialization is most strongly enforced by family, school, and peer groups and continues throughout an individual's lifetime. (See also acculturation.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.