societal

[suh-sahy-i-tl]

See more synonyms for societal on Thesaurus.com

adjective

noting or pertaining to large social groups, or to their activities, customs, etc.

Origin of societal

First recorded in 1895–1900; societ(y) + -al¹

Related formsso·ci·e·tal·ly, adverban·ti·so·ci·e·tal, adjectivean·ti·so·ci·e·tal·ly, adverbin·ter·so·ci·e·tal, adjectivenon·so·ci·e·tal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for societal

Contemporary Examples

He becomes increasingly paranoid by the societal fixtures around him—a ticking clock, a ringing phone.
‘Interstellar’ Is Wildly Ambitious, Very Flawed, and Absolutely Worth Seeing
Marlow Stern
November 7, 2014
Reactionaries were the industrialists, who wanted little or no societal change.
From The Square Deal to The New Deal: The Overlapping Political Identities of TR and FDR
John Avlon
September 9, 2014
This is so much more of a societal issue than just a commercial issue.
This 3-D Printer Can Change Fashion's Diversity Problem
Erin Cunningham
June 9, 2014
In other words, we have a perfect storm of societal systems that disproportionately target our LGBT youth.
Believers Must Fight for Gay Teens
Gene Robinson
May 18, 2014
Kremlin television began airing documentaries blaming sites like VK for all manner of societal ills.
Moscow’s War on Social Media Claims a New Casualty
Jacob Siegel
April 22, 2014

Historical Examples

The body of the folkways constitutes a societal environment.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner
It became a societal institution and a function of the state.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner
All are forced to conform, and the folkways dominate the societal life.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner
They are reactions produced in the individual by the societal environment.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner
They did not verify when the attempt was made to use them for societal needs.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner

British Dictionary definitions for societal

societal

adjective

of or relating to society, esp human society or social relations

Derived Formssocietally, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for societal

adj.

1873, from society (adj.) + -al (1). Related: Societally. Earlier adjective was societarian (1822) "of or pertaining to society."

societal

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}societal

Related Words

Examples from the Web for societal

Contemporary Examples

He becomes increasingly paranoid by the societal fixtures around him—a ticking clock, a ringing phone.

Reactionaries were the industrialists, who wanted little or no societal change.

This is so much more of a societal issue than just a commercial issue.

In other words, we have a perfect storm of societal systems that disproportionately target our LGBT youth.

Kremlin television began airing documentaries blaming sites like VK for all manner of societal ills.

Historical Examples

The body of the folkways constitutes a societal environment.

It became a societal institution and a function of the state.

All are forced to conform, and the folkways dominate the societal life.

They are reactions produced in the individual by the societal environment.

They did not verify when the attempt was made to use them for societal needs.

societal

Word Origin and History for societal

adj.

Origin of societal