social

adjective

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so·cial | \ ˈsō-shəl

Definition of social

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : involving allies or confederates the Social War between the Athenians and their allies

2a : marked by or passed in pleasant companionship with friends or associates an active social life

b : sociable

c : of, relating to, or designed for sociability a social club

3 : of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society social institutions

4a : tending to form cooperative and interdependent relationships with others Infants can become social beings only through interaction with others.— Gerald R. Leslie and Sheila K. Korman

b : living and breeding in more or less organized communities especially for the purposes of cooperation and mutual benefit : not solitary Of the canid family, the wolf is one of the most social species, since it is a pack hunter.— Michael W. Fox The evolutionary theory of kin selection requires that social animals recognize their relatives so that altruistic behavior can be displayed preferentially toward kin. — Science — see also social insect

c of a plant : tending to grow in groups or masses so as to form a pure stand

5a : of, relating to, or based on rank or status in a particular society a member of our social set

b : of, relating to, or characteristic of the upper classes

c : formal

6 : being such in social situations a social drinker

social

noun

Definition of social (Entry 2 of 2)

: sociable

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about social

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Examples of social in a Sentence

Adjective She has poor social skills. The vacation resort held a lot of social events. I joined the club to improve my social life. Her sister is much more social than she is. social institutions like marriage and family Health care is a major social issue. Child abuse has become a serious social problem. Martin Luther King, Jr., fought for social change. Most humans are social beings. Noun The club has socials every month. He's living on the social now.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective That’s why every great tribune of social justice in American history—including Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King Jr. —was also a zealous advocate for free speech. — Jonathan Zimmerman, WSJ, "When Will Liberals Reclaim Free Speech?," 7 Apr. 2021 Burgess’s dance identity has long been entwined with an interest in history and social justice. — Washington Post, "This D.C.-based choreographer creates dances about trailblazers, hoping you’ll embrace their ideals," 7 Apr. 2021 Some companies see speaking up for social justice and racial equity as a matter of conscience — and a way of appealing to consumers who agree. — Steve Chapman, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Republicans vs. ‘woke corporations’: A losing battle," 7 Apr. 2021 Perhaps because of the diversity of his influences, as well as his own international background, Peck has little use for the pieties, buzzwords or individual villains of siloed social justice debates. — Judy Berman, Time, "Exterminate All the Brutes," 7 Apr. 2021 The death of George Floyd triggered a reckoning concerning race and social justice. — Randall Lane, Forbes, "Operation Wealth Speed: What A Record Number Of New, Self-Made Billionaires Says About Capitalism," 6 Apr. 2021 Some companies stepped forward to take a leadership role, including Warner Music Group and the Blavatnik Family Foundation, which announced a $100-million fund to support music industry groups and others who were promoting social justice. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, "Social justice activist Tarana Burke lands CBS Studios production deal," 6 Apr. 2021 Shoppers are now asking what beauty brands stand for, how inclusive their teams and product ranges are, and their stances concerning climate change, social justice, politics, and more. — Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, "Glamour Editors Around the World on the Beauty Products They Can't Live Without," 6 Apr. 2021 The backdrop of the work WNBA players have done in the past year in the social justice and political world. — Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, "Women's tournament exposed NCAA's sexism, but will the calls for change be heard?," 5 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun An ice cream social was planned for Tuesday in New Windsor, and another is planned for Union Bridge on Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the fire department’s parking lot. — Mary Grace Keller, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Keep counting: Carroll County in nation’s top 1% for census self-response, though numbers low in some areas," 19 Aug. 2020 From ice cream socials to neighborhood scavenger hunts and lemonade stands, 2020 summer activities may look a lot like those of your youth. — Eliza Mackintosh, CNN, "What you need to know about coronavirus on Tuesday, May 26," 26 May 2020 But there are Zoom ice cream socials, and Zoom group dry-land workouts—and, as the Anchorage coaches learned, the small exuberance of glimpsing a friendly face in the next lane. — National Geographic, "CREATE A FREE NAT GEO ACCOUNT TO CONTINUE READING," 22 May 2020 Speaking of TikTok, that trending socials platform isn’t just for your cool niece to obsess over for hours everday. — Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, "New help for local musicians/artists during pandemic," 1 May 2020 In New Hampshire, meantime, the Sanders campaign is leaning on Ben & Jerry’s co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who will host ice cream socials across the state. — Ryan Teague Beckwith, Bloomberg.com, "Bernie Sanders Campaign to Hold ‘Caucus Concerts’ With Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver," 29 Apr. 2020 All parish meetings or socials including fish fries and bingos are canceled. — Chris Mayhew, Cincinnati.com, "Northern Kentucky: Diocese of Covington: No Masses or fish fries to stop COVID-19," 18 Mar. 2020 Parties, sorority socials and beer pong nights have found a new home on Zoom. — Erin Griffith, New York Times, "We Live in Zoom Now," 17 Mar. 2020 Beyond that, a seemingly endless stream of activities, from major concerts to church socials, have been canceled or postponed. — Annysa Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Coronavirus disruption continues with statewide school shutdown, confirmed cases rising," 13 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'social.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

9 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Social.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social. Accessed 13 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for social

social

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of social

(Entry 1 of 2)

: relating to or involving activities in which people spend time talking to each other or doing enjoyable things with each other

: liking to be with and talk to people : happy to be with people

: of or relating to people or society in general

social

noun

English Language Learners Definition of social (Entry 2 of 2)

: an informal social event for members of a group

See the full definition for social in the English Language Learners Dictionary

social

adjective

so·cial | \ ˈsō-shəl

Kids Definition of social

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : enjoying other people : sociable a social person

2 : relating to interaction with other people especially for pleasure a busy social life

3 : of or relating to human beings as a group Marriage and family are social institutions.

4 : living naturally in groups or communities Bees are social insects.

5 : relating to or based on rank in a particular society social classes

social

noun

Kids Definition of social (Entry 2 of 2)

: a friendly gathering usually for a special reason

social

adjective

so·cial | \ ˈsō-shəl

Medical Definition of social

1a : tending to form cooperative and interdependent relationships with others of one's kind

b : living and breeding in more or less organized communities social insects

2 : of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society immature social behavior