socially

American  

[soh-shuh-lee] / ˈsoʊ ʃə li /

adverb

1. in the friendly company of others; in a genial or gregarious manner.

   We met through mutual friends who gather socially several times a month.

2. in a manner that relates to human society and its configuration as a community.

   Her art strives to be both beautifully evocative and socially responsible.

3. in a manner that relates to the division of human society into classes according to status.

   Socially and economically, these children are repressed by disadvantages we cannot imagine.

4. with attention or regard to rules about behavior.

   In my day, carousing on a Sunday was socially unacceptable.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsocially adverb
• unsocially adverb

Etymology

Origin of socially

First recorded in 1610–30; social ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

“He’s got certain virtues writers maybe aren’t supposed to have — dude is handsome, socially adroit. But he’s also insanely insightful and genuine.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

They testified that Jeffries demonstrates "disinhibited" and socially "inappropriate" behaviour, which is part of a range of dementia symptoms, the court heard.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

In such a socially competitive and professionally rapacious city, having a dinner party is intimidating, too much work, and very few people, even with boatloads of cash, end up hosting one.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

“Young children learn best really through these socially mediated experiences and by involving the senses.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• culturally
• philosophically
• politically
• psychologically