noun · verb · 2 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
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General-American:/ˈsoʊʃəl ˌdɪstən(t)sɪŋ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈsəʊʃəl ˌdɪstən(t)sɪŋ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases by isolating those with such diseases in quarantines, maintaining space between individuals, and prohibiting certain activities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: epidemiology, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
present participle and gerund of social distance
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
sosiale distansiëring
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Albanian:
distancë shoqërore
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Assamese:
শাৰীৰিক দূৰত্ব
(xaririk durotto)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Azerbaijani:
sosial məsafələşmə
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Basque:
urruntze sozial
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Bengali:
শারীরিক দূরত্ব
(śaririk durotto)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Bulgarian:
обществена дистанция
(obštestvena distancija)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Bulgarian:
социална дистанция
(socialna distancija)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Catalan:
distanciament social
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Catalan:
distanciació social
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Chinese Cantonese:
保持社交距離 /保持社交距离
(bou2 ci4 se5 gaau1 keoi5 lei4)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Chinese Mandarin:
保持社交距離 /保持社交距离
(bǎochí shèjiāo jùlí)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Czech:
sociální distancování
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Danish:
social distancering
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Danish:
fysisk distancering
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Danish:
fysisk afstand
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Dutch:
sociale onthouding
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Estonian:
sotsiaalne distantseerumine
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Finnish:
sosiaalinen etäännyttäminen
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
French:
distanciation sociale
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
French:
éloignement social
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
French:
distanciation physique
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
French:
éloignement physique
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Georgian:
სოციალური დისტანცირება
(socialuri disṭancireba)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
German:
soziale Distanzierung
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
German:
Social Distancing
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
German:
räumliche Distanzierung
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
German:
räumliche Trennung
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Greek:
κοινωνική απομάκρυνση
(koinonikí apomákrynsi)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Gujarati:
શારીરિક દૂરી
(śārīrik dūrī)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Hebrew:
ריחוק חברתי
(rikhúk khevratí)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Hindi:
शारीरिक दूरी
(śārīrik dūrī)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Hungarian:
közösségi távolságtartás
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Hungarian:
társasági távolságtartás
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Hungarian:
társas távolságtartás
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Hungarian:
szociális távolságtartás
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Icelandic:
samskiptafjarlægð
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Indonesian:
jaga jarak sosial
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Irish:
scaradh sóisialta
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Italian:
distanziamento sociale
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Japanese:
ソーシャルディスタンス
(sōsharudisutansu)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Japanese:
社会距離拡大戦略
(shakaikyorikakudaisenryaku)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Khmer:
ការរក្សាចម្ងាយពីគ្នា
(karrôksachmngéaypiknéa)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Korean:
사회적(社會的) 거리(距離)두기
(sahoejeok georidugi)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Northern Kurdish:
dûrxistina civakî
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Macedonian:
друштвено растојание
(društveno rastojanie)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Malay:
penjarakan sosial
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Malay:
penjarakan fizikal
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Malayalam:
സാമൂഹിക അകലം
(sāmūhika akalaṁ)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Marathi:
शारीरिक अंतर
(śārīrik antar)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Norwegian Bokmål:
sosial distansering
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Norwegian Bokmål:
fysisk distansering
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Norwegian Bokmål:
fysisk avstand
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Norwegian Nynorsk:
sosial distansering
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Norwegian Nynorsk:
fysisk distansering
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Norwegian Nynorsk:
fysisk avstand
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Persian:
فاصلهگذاری اجتماعی
(fâsele-gozâri-ye ejtemâ'i)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Polish:
dystansowanie społeczne
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Portuguese:
distanciamento social
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Punjabi:
ਸਰੀਰਕ ਦੂਰੀ
(sarīrak dūrī)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Romanian:
distanțare socială
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Russian:
социа́льное дистанци́рование
(sociálʹnoje distancírovanije)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Scottish Gaelic:
astrachadh sòisealta
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Spanish:
distanciamiento social
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Swedish:
social distansering
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Swedish:
fysisk distansering
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Tamil:
சமூக இடைவெளி
(camūka iṭaiveḷi)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Thai:
การเว้นระยะห่างทางสังคม
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Turkish:
sosyal mesafe
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Vietnamese:
sự cách ly xã hội
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Vietnamese:
khoảng cách xã hội
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Vietnamese:
sự giãn cách xã hội
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Vietnamese:
sự cách ly vật lý
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Vietnamese:
khoảng cách xã giao
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Yiddish:
סאָציאַלע דיסטאַנצירונג
(sotsyale distantsirung)
— practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases