Main Entry:

¹so·ci·e·ty

Pronunciation:

\sə-ˈsī-ə-tē\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural so·ci·e·ties

Etymology:

Middle French societé, from Latin societat-, societas, from socius companion — more at social

Date:

1531

1: companionship or association with one's fellows : friendly or intimate intercourse : company2: a voluntary association of individuals for common ends ; especially : an organized group working together or periodically meeting because of common interests, beliefs, or profession3 a: an enduring and cooperating social group whose members have developed organized patterns of relationships through interaction with one another b: a community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests4 a: a part of a community that is a unit distinguishable by particular aims or standards of living or conduct : a social circle or a group of social circles having a clearly marked identity <literary society> b: a part of the community that sets itself apart as a leisure class and that regards itself as the arbiter of fashion and manners5 a: a natural group of plants usually of a single species or habit within an association b: the progeny of a pair of insects when constituting a social unit (as a hive of bees) ; broadly : an interdependent system of organisms or biological units