adj
Meaning 1
Being extroverted or outgoing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- James is a very social guy; he knows lots of people.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
social
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.
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UK: /ˈsəʊ.ʃəl/
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US: /ˈsoʊ.ʃəl/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -əʊʃəl
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CMU ARPABET: S OW1 SH AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Of or relating to society.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- Teresa feels uncomfortable in certain social situations.
- Unemployment is a social problem.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Relating to social media or social networks.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet
Examples
- social gaming
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Relating to a nation's allies.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
Examples
- the Social War
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Cooperating or growing in groups.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, natural-sciences
Examples
- a social insect
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A festive gathering to foster introductions.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- They organized a social at the dance club to help people get to know one another.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A dance held to raise money, often held for a couple to be married.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canadian-Prairies, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
Ellipsis of social security.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, countable, ellipsis, uncountable, with-definite-article
Examples
- Fred hated going down to the social to sign on.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
Ellipsis of social security number.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
Examples
- What's your social? [asked so that the asker can look up your account details]
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A dinner dance event, usually held annually by a company or sporting club.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, countable, dated, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
Ellipsis of social studies.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
Ellipsis of social media.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 13
A social media account; the username or handle thereof, or a link thereto.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet, countable, informal
Examples
- Also check out some other experts in this topic — their socials are in the pinned comment below.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 14
living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a human being is a social animal
- mature social behavior
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: unsocial
adjective
Meaning 15
relating to human society and its members
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- social institutions
- societal evolution
- societal forces
- social legislation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: societal
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 16
relating to or belonging to or characteristic of high society
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- made fun of her being so social and high-toned
- a social gossip colum
- the society page
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 17
marked by friendly companionship with others
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a social cup of coffee
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 18
tending to move or live together in groups or colonies of the same kind
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- ants are social insects
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 19
composed of sociable people or formed for the purpose of sociability
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a purely social club
- the church has a large social hall
- a social director
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 20
a party of people assembled to promote sociability and communal activity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sociable, mixer
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: party
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sekw- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *sokwéh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ṓy Proto-Indo-European *sokwh2ṓy Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Indo-European *sokwyós Proto-Italic *sokjos Latin sokios Latin socius Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin sociālisbor. Middle French socialbor. English social From Middle French social, from Latin sociālis (“of or belonging to a companion or companionship or association, social”), from socius (“a companion, fellow, partner, associate, ally”), from sequor (“follow”). Cognate with English seg (“man, companion, fellow”). More at seg.
Across languages
Translations
174 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Belarusian: тавары́скі (tavarýski) — extroverted or outgoing
- Bulgarian: общи́телен (obštítelen) — extroverted or outgoing
- Catalan: social — extroverted or outgoing
- Catalan: sociable — extroverted or outgoing
- Czech: společenský — extroverted or outgoing
- Danish: social — extroverted or outgoing
- Danish: udadvendt — extroverted or outgoing
- Danish: selskabelig — extroverted or outgoing
- Esperanto: sociema — extroverted or outgoing
- Faroese: sosialur — extroverted or outgoing
- Faroese: felagsligur — extroverted or outgoing
- Finnish: ulospäinsuuntautunut — extroverted or outgoing
- Finnish: ekstrovertti — extroverted or outgoing
- Finnish: sosiaalinen — extroverted or outgoing
- Finnish: seurallinen — extroverted or outgoing
- Galician: social — extroverted or outgoing
- German: kontaktfreudig — extroverted or outgoing
- German: gesellig — extroverted or outgoing
- German: leutselig — extroverted or outgoing
- German: extrovertiert — extroverted or outgoing
- German: umgänglich — extroverted or outgoing
- Greek: κοινωνικός (koinonikós) — extroverted or outgoing
- Hindi: मिलनसार (milansār) — extroverted or outgoing
- Hungarian: társasági — extroverted or outgoing
- Hungarian: szociális — extroverted or outgoing
- Icelandic: mannblendinn — extroverted or outgoing
- Icelandic: félagslyndur — extroverted or outgoing
- Irish: sóisialta — extroverted or outgoing
- Italian: sociale — extroverted or outgoing
- Italian: socievole — extroverted or outgoing
- Italian: estroverso — extroverted or outgoing
- Norwegian Bokmål: sosial — extroverted or outgoing
- Norwegian Bokmål: utadvendt — extroverted or outgoing
- Norwegian Bokmål: selskapelig — extroverted or outgoing
- Norwegian Nynorsk: sosial — extroverted or outgoing
- Norwegian Nynorsk: omgjengeleg — extroverted or outgoing
- Norwegian Nynorsk: selskapeleg — extroverted or outgoing
- Old English: ġefērlīċ — extroverted or outgoing
- Polish: towarzyski — extroverted or outgoing
- Portuguese: social — extroverted or outgoing
- Russian: общи́тельный (obščítelʹnyj) — extroverted or outgoing
- Scottish Gaelic: sòisealta — extroverted or outgoing
- Scottish Gaelic: caidreamhach — extroverted or outgoing
- Slovene: družben — extroverted or outgoing
- Swedish: social — extroverted or outgoing
- Swedish: utåtriktad — extroverted or outgoing
- Swedish: sällskaplig — extroverted or outgoing
- Swedish: föreningsintresserad — extroverted or outgoing
- Tagalog: ulnungin — extroverted or outgoing
- Telugu: సాంఘిక (sāṅghika) — extroverted or outgoing
- Ukrainian: товари́ський (tovarýsʹkyj) — extroverted or outgoing
- Urdu: ملنسار (milansār) — extroverted or outgoing
- Welsh: cymdeithasol — extroverted or outgoing
- Albanian: social — relating to society
- Arabic: مُجْتَمَعِيّ (mujtamaʕiyy) — relating to society
- Arabic: اِجْتِمَاعِيّ (ijtimāʕiyy) — relating to society
- Armenian: հասարակական (hasarakakan) — relating to society
- Armenian: սոցիալական (socʻialakan) — relating to society
- Asturian: social — relating to society
- Azerbaijani: ictimai — relating to society
- Azerbaijani: sosial — relating to society
- Bashkir: социаль (sotsialʹ) — relating to society
- Belarusian: сацыя́льны (sacyjálʹny) — relating to society
- Belarusian: грама́дскі (hramádski) — relating to society
- Bulgarian: социа́лен (sociálen) — relating to society
- Bulgarian: обще́ствен (obštéstven) — relating to society
- Catalan: social — relating to society
- Chinese Mandarin: 社會的 /社会的 (shèhuì de) — relating to society
- Czech: společenský — relating to society
- Czech: sociální — relating to society
- Danish: social — relating to society
- Dutch: sociaal — relating to society
- Dutch: maatschappelijk — relating to society
- Esperanto: socia — relating to society
- Faroese: samfelagsligur — relating to society
- Faroese: almanna — relating to society
- Finnish: yhteiskunnallinen — relating to society
- Finnish: yhteiskunta- — relating to society
- Finnish: sosiaalinen — relating to society
- Finnish: sosiaali- — relating to society
- French: social — relating to society
- Galician: social — relating to society
- Georgian: სოციალური (socialuri) — relating to society
- Georgian: საზოგადოებრივი (sazogadoebrivi) — relating to society
- German: sozial — relating to society
- German: Sozial- — relating to society
- German: gesellschaftlich — relating to society
- Greek: κοινωνικός (koinonikós) — relating to society
- Hebrew: חֶבְרָתִי (khevratí) — relating to society
- Hindi: सामाजिक (sāmājik) — relating to society
- Hungarian: társadalmi — relating to society
- Hungarian: szociális — relating to society
- Hungarian: társas — relating to society
- Icelandic: félagslegur — relating to society
- Irish: sóisialta — relating to society
- Italian: sociale — relating to society
- Italian: mondano — relating to society
- Japanese: 社会的な (shakaiteki na) — relating to society
- Kazakh: әлеуметтік (äleumettık) — relating to society
- Kazakh: қоғамдық (qoğamdyq) — relating to society
- Korean: 사회적인 (sahoejeog-in) — relating to society
- Kyrgyz: коомдук (koomduk) — relating to society
- Macedonian: социјален (socijalen) — relating to society
- Macedonian: општествен (opštestven) — relating to society
- Marathi: सामाजिक (sāmājik) — relating to society
- Mongolian: нийгмийн (niigmiin) — relating to society
- Norwegian Bokmål: sosial — relating to society
- Norwegian Bokmål: samfunnsmessig — relating to society
- Norwegian Nynorsk: sosial — relating to society
- Norwegian Nynorsk: samfunnsmessig — relating to society
- Occitan: social — relating to society
- Occitan: sociau — relating to society
- Iranian Persian: اِجْتِماعی (ejtemâ'i) — relating to society
- Iranian Persian: سوسْیال (sosyâl) — relating to society
- Polish: społeczny — relating to society
- Portuguese: social — relating to society
- Romanian: social — relating to society
- Russian: социа́льный (sociálʹnyj) — relating to society
- Russian: обще́ственный (obščéstvennyj) — relating to society
- Scottish Gaelic: sòisealta — relating to society
- Serbo-Croatian: со̏ција̄лан — relating to society
- Serbo-Croatian: sȍcijālan — relating to society
- Sicilian: suciali — relating to society
- Slovak: spoločenský — relating to society
- Slovak: sociálny — relating to society
- Slovene: socialen — relating to society
- Spanish: social — relating to society
- Swedish: social — relating to society
- Tagalog: panlipunan — relating to society
- Tagalog: ulnungin — relating to society
- Tagalog: ulnayin — relating to society
- Tagalog: ulnayanin — relating to society
- Tajik: иҷтимоӣ (ijtimoyi) — relating to society
- Tajik: сотсиалӣ (sotsiali) — relating to society
- Tatar: социаль (sotsiyalʹ) — relating to society
- Telugu: సాంఘికము (sāṅghikamu) — relating to society
- Turkish: toplumsal — relating to society
- Turkish: sosyal — relating to society
- Turkmen: sosial — relating to society
- Ukrainian: соціа́льний (sociálʹnyj) — relating to society
- Ukrainian: суспі́льний (suspílʹnyj) — relating to society
- Ukrainian: грома́дський (hromádsʹkyj) — relating to society
- Urdu: مَجْلِسی (majlisī) — relating to society
- Urdu: سوشَل (sośal) — relating to society
- Urdu: اِجْتِماعی (ijtimā'ī) — relating to society
- Urdu: سماجی (samājī) — relating to society
- Urdu: معاشرتی (mu'āśaratī) — relating to society
- Uyghur: ئىجتىمائىي (ijtima'iy) — relating to society
- Uzbek: ijtimoiy — relating to society
- Uzbek: sotsial — relating to society
- Vietnamese: xã hội — relating to society
- Welsh: cymdeithasol — relating to society
- Bashkir: социаль (sotsialʹ) — internet: relating to social media or social networks
- Bulgarian: социален (socialen) — internet: relating to social media or social networks
- Esperanto: socia — internet: relating to social media or social networks
- Finnish: sosiaalinen — internet: relating to social media or social networks
- Marathi: सोशल (sośal) — internet: relating to social media or social networks
- Portuguese: social — internet: relating to social media or social networks
- Welsh: cymdeithasol — internet: relating to social media or social networks
- Portuguese: social — relating to a nation's allies
- Finnish: yhteiskunta- — zoology: cooperating in groups
- Māori: noho rōpū — zoology: cooperating in groups
- Portuguese: social — zoology: cooperating in groups
- Tajik: иҷтимоӣ (ijtimoyi) — zoology: cooperating in groups
- Tajik: ҷамъиятӣ (jam'iyati) — zoology: cooperating in groups
- Tajik: ҷомеавӣ (jomeavi) — zoology: cooperating in groups
- Tajik: сотсиалӣ (sotsiali) — zoology: cooperating in groups
- Bulgarian: вечеринка (večerinka) — festive gathering to foster introductions
- Finnish: tutustumistilaisuus — festive gathering to foster introductions
- Irish: ócáid shóisialta — festive gathering to foster introductions
- Finnish: sossu — short for social security benefit
- Norwegian: sosialen — short for social security benefit
- Finnish: sotu — short for social security number
- Finnish: hetu — short for social security number
Real reading context