gregarious

adjective

gre·​gar·​i·​ous gri-ˈger-ē-əs How to pronounce gregarious (audio)
1
a
: tending to associate with others of one's kind : social
gregarious animals
b
: marked by or indicating a liking for companionship : sociable
is friendly, outgoing, and gregarious
c
: of or relating to a social group
2
a
of a plant : growing in a cluster or a colony
b
: living in contiguous nests but not forming a true colony
used especially of wasps and bees
gregariously adverb
gregariousness noun

Did you know?

When you're one of the herd, it's tough to avoid being social. The origin of gregarious is from  the Latin noun grex, meaning "herd" or "flock." When it first began appearing in English texts in the 17th century, gregarious was applied mainly to animals, but by the 18th century it was being used for social human beings as well.

Examples of gregarious in a Sentence

[J.P.] Morgan was attracted to bright, self-possessed women who met him on his own ground, felt at home in society, and shared his gregarious instincts and sybaritic tastes. Jean Strouse, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 1999
… the gregarious trade unionist whose back-slapping mateyness helped make him Australia's most popular politician. Time, 3 Apr. 1989
As it is a night of many parties, the more social, the more gregarious, the more invited of the guests are wondering whether to go to Harley Street first, or whether to arrive there later, after sampling other offerings. Margaret Drabble, Harper's, July 1987
She is outgoing and gregarious. a gregarious child who ran up to every person on the playground and wanted to be their friend
Recent Examples on the Web Pre-accident Reeve, while gregarious and fun-loving, is seen grappling with conflicting impulses and emotions that ultimately are resolved only after he is permanently confined to a wheelchair. Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024 Our family managed socially thanks to my mother’s gentle diplomacy, and to one man, a gregarious stockbroker and philanthropist, who offered my father his friendship. Sage Mehta, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Her severe dyslexia sometimes trips her up while speaking or perusing her notes, but those moments of frustration don’t temper her gregarious personality. Angela Yang, NBC News, 5 Sep. 2024 Edward learns a play is being made of his life, desperately wants to star in it, and becomes jealous of the gregarious man who’s ultimately cast in the role – played by Adam Pearson, a British actor who lives with the condition. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gregarious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gregarious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin gregarius of a flock or herd, from greg-, grex flock, herd

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gregarious was in 1668

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Dictionary Entries Near gregarious

Cite this Entry

“Gregarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gregarious. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

gregarious

adjective
gre·​gar·​i·​ous gri-ˈgar-ē-əs How to pronounce gregarious (audio)
-ˈger-
1
: tending to associate with others of one's kind : social
also : tending to live in a flock, herd, or community rather than alone
gregarious birds
2
: marked by a liking for companionship : sociable
gregariously adverb
gregariousness noun
Etymology

from Latin gregarius "relating to a herd or flock," from greg-, grex "flock, herd" — related to congregate

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