Standard Lemma guide

socialization

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.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S OW2 SH AH0 L IH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The process of learning how to live in a way acceptable to one's own society, said especially about children.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences, social-science, sociology

Examples

  • Socialization skills are important things to learn in kindergarten.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of interacting with others, of being social.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Forced socialization rarely creates strong friendships, but there are exceptions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Taking under government control as implementing socialism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • socialization of the means of production

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the socialization of children to the norms of their culture

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: socialisation, acculturation, enculturation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: social control

Narrower terms: cultivation, breeding, bringing up, fostering, fosterage, nurture, raising, rearing, upbringing

5

noun

Meaning 5

the act of meeting for social purposes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there was too much socialization with the enlisted men

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: socialisation, socializing, socialising

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: meeting, coming together

6

noun

Meaning 6

the action of establishing on a socialist basis

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the socialization of medical services

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: socialisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: group action

History

Etymology

From socialize + -ation or social + -ization.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: общуване (obštuvane) — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Catalan: socialització — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 社會化 /社会化 (shèhuìhuà) — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Czech: socializace — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Dutch: socialisatie — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • French: socialisation — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Galician: socialización — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Galician: sociabilización — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • German: Sozialisation — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Greek: κοινωνικοποίηση (koinonikopoíisi) — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Hebrew: חִבְרוּת (ḥivrút) — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Icelandic: félagsmótun — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Indonesian: sosialisasi — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Italian: socializzazione — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Japanese: 社会化 (shakaika) — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Malay: pemasyarakatan — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Malay: sosialisasi — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Occitan: socializacion — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Polish: socjalizacja — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Portuguese: socialização — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Portuguese: sociabilização — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Russian: социализа́ция (socializácija) — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Serbo-Croatian: социјализа́ција — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Serbo-Croatian: socijalizácija — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Spanish: socialización — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Spanish: sociabilización — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Ukrainian: соціалізація (socializacija) — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture
  • Welsh: cymdeithasoliad — sociology: the process of learning one’s culture