so·ci·e·ty
sə-ˈsī-ə-tē 
plural societies
1
: companionship or association with one's fellows : friendly or intimate intercourse : company
2
: a voluntary association of individuals for common ends
especially
: an organized group working together or periodically meeting because of common interests, beliefs, or profession
3
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 interests
4
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 manners
5
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 (such as a hive of bees)
broadly
: an interdependent system of organisms or biological units
: of, relating to, or typical of fashionable society
Examples of society in a Sentence
Noun
Poverty hurts society as a whole.
We need to do more to help the poorer members of our society.
the values of Western society
She was introduced to society at a formal reception.
The club's members are drawn from the ranks of high society.
Recent Examples on the Web
Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
The board will weigh rehabilitation efforts, prison conduct, expressions of remorse, and plans for reintegration into society.
—Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2025
After all, this private members’ club on Jermyn Street in Mayfair, which first opened in 1969, has been graced by the glitterati, from celebrities to high society and royalty.
—Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
But about 94% of our prisoners are going to come back into society.
—Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for society
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Noun
Many of us are frustrated by the pressure cooker of society today, but running away from it all is not it.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
The board will weigh rehabilitation efforts, prison conduct, expressions of remorse, and plans for reintegration into society.
—Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2025
After all, this private members’ club on Jermyn Street in Mayfair, which first opened in 1969, has been graced by the glitterati, from celebrities to high society and royalty.
—Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
But about 94% of our prisoners are going to come back into society.
—Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for society
Cite this Entry
“Society.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/society. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
society
noun
so·ci·e·ty
sə-ˈsī-ə-tē
plural societies
1
: the benefits of love, care, affection, and companionship that family members receive from each other
sought damages for loss of society from his wife's wrongful death
compare consortium
2
: a voluntary association of individuals dedicated to common ends
a conservation society
3
: a community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests
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