socially
Americanadverb
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in the friendly company of others; in a genial or gregarious manner.
We met through mutual friends who gather socially several times a month.
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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.
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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.
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with attention or regard to rules about behavior.
In my day, carousing on a Sunday was socially unacceptable.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of socially
First recorded in 1610–30; social ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Anything described as happening socially has to do with society and how people interact. Someone who’s socially gifted goes to all the parties. That person would never do something socially unacceptable, like jump to the front of the line. People live in societies, and social things have to do with people interacting. Therefore, anything described as happening socially involves people’s involvement with each other. A socially active person spends a lot of time with other people. Someone who is socially awkward has trouble communicating. Someone socially conscious is interested in helping other people. Since social media has become popular, this word increasingly applies to online social networks. For example, someone socially invisible might not use the Internet.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But, as Geoff Davis, the Republican who represented the district before Massie, described it, it is both socially and fiscally conservative.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
The details were salacious and shocking to his peers, who’d known him as a socially awkward, occasionally gruff finance bro.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
"The GLP-1 users were socially penalized not just compared to someone who lost weight through diet and exercise," Standen said.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
"The goal is end-to-end automation, but today it would be unsafe and socially unacceptable to remove humans entirely," says Le Brun.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
We stare at each other for a few more seconds than is socially acceptable.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
