1
: involving allies or confederates
the Social War between the Athenians and their allies
2
a
: 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
4
a
: 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
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
Michael W. FoxThe 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
Science
c
of a plant
: tending to grow in groups or masses so as to form a pure stand
5
a
: 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
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
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
In a case that's drawing significant social media attention, a Georgia college student and her father are being held in the same immigration detention center and facing deportation after they were separately stopped by police for driving without valid licenses.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Quartz Staff, Quartz, 13 May 2025
The rapper’s team shared the news on his socials on Wednesday (May 7).
—Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for social
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Inspired by the energy of young, charismatic stars on the 2018 team including Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Derwin James Jr., Julian started to craft a social media persona that matched the on-field personnel.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
In a case that's drawing significant social media attention, a Georgia college student and her father are being held in the same immigration detention center and facing deportation after they were separately stopped by police for driving without valid licenses.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Noun
Calm, collected, and claiming victory on state-run socials.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 13 May 2025
The rapper’s team shared the news on his socials on Wednesday (May 7).
—Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for social
Cite this Entry
“Social.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
social
1 of 2 adjective
so·cial
ˈsō-shəl 
1
a
: devoted to or engaged in for sociability
social events
my social life
2
: of or relating to human society
social institutions
3
a
: tending to form cooperative relationships with others
we are social beings
b
: living or growing by nature in groups or communities
bees are social insects
4
a
: of, relating to, or based on rank in a particular society
not accepted as their social equal
b
: of or relating to fashionable society
a social leader
social
2 of 2 noun
: a friendly gathering usually for a special reason
an ice cream social
Medical Definition
social
adjective
so·cial
ˈsō-shəl
1
a
: 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share