socialize

American  

[soh-shuh-lahyz] / ˈsoʊ ʃəˌlaɪz /

especially British, socialise

verb (used with object)

• socializes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• socialized,
  past participle,  past
• socializing
  present participle

1. to make social; make fit for life in companionship with others.

2. to make socialistic; establish or regulate according to the theories of socialism.

3. Education. to treat as a group activity.

   to socialize spelling quizzes.

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verb (used without object)

• socializes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• socialized,
  past participle,  past
• socializing
  present participle

1. to associate or mingle sociably with others.

   to socialize with one's fellow workers.

socialize British  

/ ˈsəʊʃəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (intr) to behave in a friendly or sociable manner

2. (tr) to prepare for life in society

3. (tr) to alter or create so as to be in accordance with socialist principles, as by nationalization

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• socializer
  noun
• resocialize
  verb
• oversocialize
  verb (used with object)
• socializable
  adjective
• unsocializable
  adjective
• unsocialized
  adjective
• unsocializing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• socializing
  present
• socialized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• socialize
  simple
• socializes
  simple
• have socialized
  perfect
• has socialized
  perfect
• am socializing
  progressive
• are socializing
  progressive
• is socializing
  progressive
• have been socializing
  perfect progressive
• has been socializing
  perfect progressive

Past

• socialized
  simple
• had socialized
  perfect
• was socializing
  progressive
• were socializing
  progressive
• had been socializing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will socialize
  simple
• will have socialized
  perfect
• will be socializing
  progressive
• will have been socializing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of socialize

First recorded in 1820–30; social + -ize

Explanation

When you socialize, you participate in activities in a group setting. If you have been studying alone for some time, you might take a break at the coffee shop to socialize with some friends. You can socialize somebody else, or educate her in social patterns. Parents socialize their kids through their upbringing, and clubs often socialize their members through a uniform. If you want to hang out with motorcyclists, you might want to dress in leather. It is also possible to socialize institutions, where benefits are open to a wide section of society. If voters socialize medicine, that service becomes available to all at government expense.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

socialize socializes socialized socializing

Meals can be a time to socialize and deepen bonds with family and friends.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026

It’s hard to socialize when half the boat is often asleep, one cruise-goer said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Desperate to help her socialize, Bonnie’s parents weigh the costs of getting her a tablet, reluctantly adding one to their cart.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

“They need to have places to socialize properly,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

The grocery store was where women gathered to socialize, and children came along hoping for a few pennies for a treat.

From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell

His neighbors include Tom Brady and Jeff Bezos, though Icahn rarely socializes or goes to the island’s exclusive club.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025

Karan says he socializes and eats at indoor restaurants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2024

He works in an office plaza, lives in a shoebox apartment with vellum-thin walls and socializes at his choice of nearby casual dining establishments with names like Flingers and Chotchkie's Bar & Grill.

From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2024

It wasn’t quite a Bond movie, but the trial provided glimpses of the sometimes glamorous locations where the art world lives, socializes and does business.

From New York Times ● Jan. 31, 2024

I start to see that the Internet is the way she travels; the way she socializes; the way she feels like part of things.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

“In Western cultures and especially in the U.S., men are just socialized this way,” says Dr. Drew Adelman, a clinical psychologist in Atlanta, GA.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

People who engage in romantic relationships with men — women, femmes, gay men, etc. — are socialized to be ever-forgiving, to have infinite patience and compassion.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026

Men — and this is not an excuse — are often not socialized to step in on these terms.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025

Multiple generations of Americans have been socialized to believe that a mecca of cheap, dirty pleasures awaits in the wastelands of southern Nevada.

From Slate ● Nov. 18, 2025

Louie swam in the lakes, ate appalling quantities of food, and socialized.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

Speaking of that: It’s not too late to join our series of challenges to help you rediscover the beauty of socializing in a pre-smartphone era.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

The findings suggest that everyday patterns, such as waking, eating, working, socializing, and going to bed at similar times, may support better overall well-being.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

“Hard socializing is over. Gen Z wants soft socializing: quieter, cheaper, sober-optional and good for their health,” said Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer and futurist at the Harris Poll.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Teenagers are socializing more with AI chatbots, raising concerns about the technology’s effect on mental health.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

The rooms were for studying or socializing only.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

Related Words

• entertain
• get around
• mingle