social

adjective so·cial \ ˈsō-shəl \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

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

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

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

See social defined for English-language learners

See social defined for kids

Examples of social in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of social from the Web

Video footage of Gus riding a skateboard was shared on social media sites, with at least one going viral with over 200,000 views.

— chris harris, PEOPLE.com, "Missing Bulldog Whose Skateboarding Videos Went Viral Was Allegedly Stolen by Indiana Man," 17 Apr. 2018
Diaz-Canel also became known for pushing back against the intolerant tendencies of the Communist Party, an organization with strains of deep social conservatism and conformity.

— andrea rodriguez and michael weissenstein, Fox News, "Young party official faces test as Cuba's next president," 17 Apr. 2018
Najib has sought to mitigate the impact of higher prices with generous cash handouts for workers, and increased subsidies and social assistance after two years of cuts.

— Bloomberg.com, "Najib Calls Malaysia Vote With Party's 60-Year Rule at Stake," 17 Apr. 2018
So, too, was the social media footprint left behind by a few of those same people.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "After stadium progress, what's next for FC Cincinnati's MLS expansion push?," 17 Apr. 2018
She's been at The Times for more than 30 years, and has covered national security, environment, domestic social policy, Congress and the White House.

— melissa healy, latimes.com, "Organs from drug overdose victims could save the lives of patients on transplant waiting list," 17 Apr. 2018
As the editor-in-chief of the restaurant site Eater, Amanda Kludt oversees 24 city sites, directs the brand’s video and social-media channels, and manages a staff of 80.

— diana tsui, The Cut, "How a Restaurant Editor Dresses for Work Dinners," 17 Apr. 2018
Social services The budget includes about $22.2 million over the next two budget years to give raises of up to 10 percent to state Cabinet for Health and Family Services social workers, who start at $33,644 a year.

— deborah yetter, The Courier-Journal, "The big winners of Kentucky's 2018 legislative session: Social workers and children," 17 Apr. 2018
Tomlinson has stayed active with TCU, hosting a camp at the university for several years and making appearances at social functions.

— david humphrey, star-telegram, "NFL great becomes college trustee," 16 Apr. 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.

Origin and Etymology of social

Middle English, from Latin socialis, from socius companion, ally, associate; akin to Old English secg man, companion, Latin sequi to follow — more at sue

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

social Synonyms

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

social

noun

: sociable

See social defined for English-language learners

Examples of social in a Sentence

The club has socials every month.
He's living on the social now.

Recent Examples of social from the Web

Third time's the charm for a number of local socials.

— amber elliott, Houston Chronicle, "Six Houston socials listed among nation's 100 'best party hosts' by the Salonniere," 4 Apr. 2018
So lots of new music -- stay on top of the socials.

— marjua estevez, Billboard, "Leslie Grace & Noriel Switch Things Up for a Sexy Reggaeton Number in 'Duro y Suave' Premiere: Interview," 18 Jan. 2018
Shortly after the performance, their socials were re-branded with a clean, minimal version of their logotype and symbol.

— david rishty, Billboard, "The History of Swedish House Mafia: A Timeline," 30 Mar. 2018
DeWine's folksy style of campaigning includes annual ice-cream socials at his family farm in Cedarville.

— cleveland.com, "What the candidates for governor want you to know -- and what they don't," 27 Mar. 2018
In-between the casual poolside piña colada socials, team management will establish the groundwork and agenda for the upcoming season.

— george diaz, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Buccaneers need to add fortitude to rinse away 2017's reality-show horror," 26 Mar. 2018
The group also subsidizes ice-cream socials, pizza parties, and teas for the town’s 3,565 seniors.

— hattie bernstein, BostonGlobe.com, "Giving senior councils an energy boost," 23 Mar. 2018
The Arc of Katy operates a day program for individuals with I/DD ages 18 and above, as well as a summer program and weekend socials throughout the year for teens and adults with I/DD.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "Arc of Katy sets annual gala," 13 Feb. 2018
The chairwoman of the California College Republicans enjoys edgy memes, gun-range socials, needling liberals and President Donald Trump.

— TIME.com, "‘The Most Hated Person on Campus’: Why Some College Republicans Are Channeling Donald Trump," 4 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of social

1857

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

SOCIAL Defined for English Language Learners

social

adjective

: 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