social

adjective

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

Keep scrolling for more

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

Readers can send news tips to azcentral.com via the newspaper's social media channels, email or by calling the office. — Bree Burkitt, azcentral, "Former Navajo Nation police officer sentenced to 16 years in prison for fatal DUI crash," 14 July 2018 Young Adult Group This social group for LGBT individuals ages 18-35 features a discussion about current event topics, followed by board games and other activities. — Mary Lou Cruz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Fort Lauderdale area events July 18-28," 13 July 2018 Many of Hollywood’s most vocal social conservatives have signed on to the film, including Jon Voight and Robert Davi, who both play Supreme Court justices. — Anna Silman, The Cut, "The Pro-Life ‘Roe v. Wade’ Movie Sounds Like a Total Disaster," 13 July 2018 Before his decision, women fleeing domestic violence from countries where police often do not protect women from such attacks were considered a particular social group that could claim persecution under asylum law. — Kate Morrissey, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New guidance for asylum officers could send thousands back from the border," 12 July 2018 Some Republicans, certain to support Kavanaugh, had hoped Trump would choose someone seen as a stronger social conservative. — Mark Sherman, BostonGlobe.com, "Born inside the Beltway, Brett Kavanaugh is part of the GOP legal elite," 10 July 2018 The White House will have to assuage social conservatives, some of whom had questioned Judge Kavanaugh’s commitment to their cause. — Brent Kendall, WSJ, "President Trump Chooses Brett Kavanaugh for Supreme Court Vacancy," 10 July 2018 Barrett — a longtime Notre Dame Law School professor who became a federal appeals judge last fall — excited social conservatives with her testimony when questioned about her Roman Catholic faith in her nomination hearings last year. — Anchorage Daily News, "Trump picks Kavanaugh for Supreme Court," 10 July 2018 Some Republicans, certain to support Kavanaugh, had hoped Trump would choose someone seen as a stronger social conservative. — Mark Sherman, The Seattle Times, "High-court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is D.C. native, ex-Bush aide," 9 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Fans have taken to the socials to congratulate mama Cardi, and share their opinions about the baby's name. — Sofia Mele, Billboard, "Fans React to Cardi B and Offset Welcoming Daughter Kulture Kiari: See the Tweets," 11 July 2018 Tyga showed off on his socials Tuesday (July 10), posting a photo aboard a private jet in a brand-new black LeBron James Lakers jersey. — Sofia Mele, Billboard, "Tyga Shows Off His New LeBron James Lakers Jersey: '1st One Made'," 10 July 2018 Group activities include bonfires, live music, lobster bakes, movie nights, and ice cream socials. — Diane Daniel, BostonGlobe.com, "More ways to camp in style at Sandy Pines," 10 July 2018 There is a fun committee who plans and organizes holiday parties, Happy Hours, breakfasts, ice cream socials, and a Super Bowl party with families. — azcentral, "Top Companies to Work for in Arizona-Small Companies," 7 June 2018 The company hosts fun holiday parties, office socials and spring training games and boosts teamwork with organized team building events throughout the year. — azcentral, "Top Companies to Work for in Arizona-Small Companies," 7 June 2018 Sports and politics, and sports and socials issues have always collided with one another, but now more than ever those conversations are dominating the news cycle. — Dan Deluca, Philly.com, "Jemele Hill is playing the Roots Picnic: The ESPN commentator on the NFL and Donald Trump, Bryan Colangelo and the Sixers," 1 June 2018 Future and Jay stans combined with the infamous Bey Hive to light up the DJ mogul's socials as the memes flooded Khaled's mentions alongside plenty of praise and a sea of emojis. — Wandera Hussein, Billboard, "Fans Shout 'Fire!' About DJ Khaled's Star-Studded 'Top Off'," 2 Mar. 2018 The social is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and Culver’s of Hales Corners. — Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Get a job with the Wisconsin State Fair, get a deal at a rumage and party like a librarian," 28 May 2018

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about social

Dictionary Entries near social

Statistics for social

Last Updated

6 Sep 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for social

The first known use of social was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

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