Standard Lemma guide

asocial

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /eɪˈsəʊʃəl/
  • General-American: /eɪˈsoʊʃəl/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not social, not relating to society.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1974, Raymond Williams, Television: Technology and Cultural Form, New York: Schocken Books, 1975, Chapter 5, pp. 127-128, All media operations are in effect desocialised [...] . But it is then interesting that from this wholly unhistorical and asocial base McLuhan projects certain images of society [...]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not sociable; having minimal social connections with others; not inclined to connect with others socially.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Antisocial.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: colloquial, proscribed

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A person considered to be antisocial or to exhibit antisocial behaviour, especially as a classification used by the Nazi regime in Germany.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

hostile to or disruptive of normal standards of social behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • criminal behavior or conduct that violates the rights of other individuals is antisocial
  • crimes...and other asocial behavior
  • an antisocial deed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: antisocial

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

given to avoiding association with others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • bears are asocial secretive animals
  • are you asocial or do you just enjoy living in the Antarctic?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From a- + social; in the sense of “antisocial” and as a noun, appears to be a calque of German asozial / Asozialer.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: asocial — not social
  • Finnish: ei sosiaalinen — not social
  • Finnish: epäsosiaalinen — not social
  • Finnish: asosiaalinen — not social
  • Georgian: ასოციალური (asocialuri) — not social
  • Georgian: არასოციალური (arasocialuri) — not social
  • Italian: asociale — not social
  • Polish: aspołeczny — not social
  • Polish: asocjalny — not social
  • Catalan: asocial — not sociable
  • Catalan: antisocial — not sociable
  • Danish: asocial — not sociable
  • Finnish: epäsosiaalinen — not sociable
  • Georgian: ასოციალური (asocialuri) — not sociable
  • Hungarian: aszociális — not sociable
  • Italian: asociale — not sociable
  • Italian: antisociale — not sociable
  • Italian: insocievole — not sociable
  • Polish: aspołeczny — not sociable
  • Polish: asocjalny — not sociable
  • Spanish: asocial — not sociable
  • Spanish: huraño — not sociable
  • Spanish: montañero — not sociable
  • Spanish: cusumbosolo — not sociable