antisocial

adjective

an·​ti·​so·​cial ˌan-tē-ˈsō-shəl  ˌan-ˌtī- 

1

: averse to the society of others : unsociable

2

: hostile or harmful to organized society

especially : being or marked by behavior deviating sharply from the social norm

3

psychology : of, relating to, or characteristic of antisocial personality disorder

Although community placement before discharge reduces subsequent antisocial behavior, most have apparently required outpatient mental health services indefinitely …

—Nathaniel S. Lehrman

antisocially

ˌan-tē-ˈsō-shə-lē

ˌan-ˌtī- 

adverb

Synonyms

• detached
• distant
• cold
• asocial
• cool
• unsociable
• reserved
• aloof

Examples of antisocial in a Sentence

She's not being antisocial; she's just shy at parties.

she's not antisocial, just extremely shy

Recent Examples on the Web

Cillian Murphy plays the titular Steve, a beloved teacher at a controversial school that uses public funds to house violent and antisocial boys in a shabby old mansion. —Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025

Kemper was also diagnosed with an antisocial disorder, narcissistic disorder and schizotypal disorder. —Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Lyle was described as exhibiting narcissistic and antisocial tendencies, while Erik was considered vulnerable to outside influence. —Amanda Castro hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025

Specifically, guilt-free time to be completely present with a book, surrounded by others who understand that choosing to read for hours is aspirational, not antisocial. —Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing antisocial

• antisocial personality disorder

Rhymes for antisocial

• biosocial
• homosocial
• psychosocial
• asocial
• prosocial
• unsocial
• biopsychosocial
• social

Kids Definition

antisocial

adjective

an·​ti·​so·​cial ˌant-i-ˈsō-shəl 

ˌan-ˌtī-

1

: unfriendly sense 1

2

: being against or bad for society

especially : being or exhibiting behavior that is very different from accepted behavior

Medical Definition

antisocial

adjective

an·​ti·​so·​cial -ˈsō-shəl 

: hostile or harmful to organized society: as

a

: being or marked by behavior deviating sharply from the social norm

b

: of, relating to, or characterized by an antisocial personality, the antisocial personality disorder, or behavior typical of either