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¹social

adjective so·cial \ˈsō-shəl\

: relating to or involving activities in which people spend time talking to each other or doing enjoyable things with each other

: liking to be with and talk to people : happy to be with people

: of or relating to people or society in general

Full Definition of SOCIAL

: involving allies or confederates <the Social War between the Athenians and their allies>

a : marked by or passed in pleasant companionship with friends or associates <an active social life>

b : sociable

c : of, relating to, or designed for sociability <a social club>

: of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society <social institutions>

a : tending to form cooperative and interdependent relationships with others

b : living and breeding in more or less organized communities <social insects>

c of a plant : tending to grow in groups or masses so as to form a pure stand

a : of, relating to, or based on rank or status in a particular society <a member of our social set>

b : of, relating to, or characteristic of the upper classes

c : formal

: being such in social situations <a social drinker>

See social defined for English-language learners

See social defined for kids

Origin of SOCIAL

Middle English, from Latin socialis, from socius companion, ally, associate; akin to Old English secg man, companion, Latin sequi to follow — more at sue

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to SOCIAL

Synonyms: boon, clubbable (also clubable), clubby, companionable, extroverted (also extraverted), gregarious, outgoing, sociable, convivial

Antonyms: antisocial, insociable, introverted, nongregarious, reclusive, unsociable, unsocial

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

²social

noun

: an informal social event for members of a group

Full Definition of SOCIAL

: sociable

See social defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of SOCIAL

1870

SOCIAL Defined for Kids

¹social

adjective so·cial \ˈsō-shəl\

Definition of SOCIAL for Kids

: enjoying other people : sociable <a social person>

: relating to interaction with other people especially for pleasure <a busy social life>

: of or relating to human beings as a group <Marriage and family are social institutions.>

: living naturally in groups or communities <Bees are social insects.>

: relating to or based on rank in a particular society <social classes>

— so·cial·ly adverb <socially active>

²social

noun

Definition of SOCIAL for Kids

: a friendly gathering usually for a special reason

Medical Dictionary

social

adjective so·cial \ˈsō-shəl\

Medical Definition of SOCIAL

a : tending to form cooperative and interdependent relationships with others of one's kind b : living and breeding in more or less organized communities <social insects>

: of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society <immature social behavior>

—so·cial·ly \-ē\ adverb