SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus

social network

noun
Save Word

Definition of social network

1 : a network of individuals (such as friends, acquaintances, and coworkers) connected by interpersonal relationships
2 : an online service or site through which people create and maintain interpersonal relationships And millions of people have become comfortable using smart-phones to share information about themselves, via mobile apps that access social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. — The Economist

Examples of social network in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Instagram was — until recently — the top social network in Russia based on monthly users, according to social media analysis firm Brand Analytics. — Clare Sebastian, CNN, 22 Apr. 2022 The company has gotten much better at detecting fake accounts and disinformation, for example, and also was the first social network to penalize Trump for violating its policies. — Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2022 Display Social, the original product from the company that has now expanded to become Infinite Reality, is a social network that aimed to pay those posting on the platform a share of ad revenue. — Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022 Shutterstock Facebook, which turned 18 last month, has developed something of a reputation for being the social network for older Americans. — Tim De Chant, Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2022 Telegram is the last major social network that refuses to moderate misinformation. — Nicolás Rivero, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2022 How long until the metaverse — which as it's currently envisioned is basically a massive virtual reality social network — ready for prime time? — Dan Patterson, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2022 The second blog discussed diverse relationship capital sciences, ranging from social network science, collaboration science and knowledge management science that fuels human to human interconnections and results in growth economics. — Cindy Gordon, Forbes, 30 Apr. 2022 The brothers had created one of Russia’s most popular social network sites, but Pavel sold his share in 2013 and fled the country after refusing to give the government the private data of anti-Russia protesters in Ukraine. — New York Times, 16 Apr. 2022 See More

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

First Known Use of social network

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Learn More About social network

Time Traveler for social network

Time Traveler

The first known use of social network was in 1845

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near social network

socialness

social network

social networking

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for social network

Last Updated

16 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Social network.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20network. Accessed 24 May. 2022.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

dander

Listen to the pronunciation of dander

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Name That Food

  • a-light
  • Name these cookies!
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games