so·ci·e·ty
sə-ˈsī-ə-tē 
plural societies
1
: companionship or association with one's fellows : friendly or intimate intercourse : company
2
: a voluntary association of individuals for common ends
especially
: an organized group working together or periodically meeting because of common interests, beliefs, or profession
3
a
: an enduring and cooperating social group whose members have developed organized patterns of relationships through interaction with one another
b
: a community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests
4
a
: a part of a community that is a unit distinguishable by particular aims or standards of living or conduct : a social circle or a group of social circles having a clearly marked identity
literary society
b
: a part of the community that sets itself apart as a leisure class and that regards itself as the arbiter of fashion and manners
5
a
: a natural group of plants usually of a single species or habit within an association
b
: the progeny of a pair of insects when constituting a social unit (such as a hive of bees)
broadly
: an interdependent system of organisms or biological units
: of, relating to, or typical of fashionable society
Examples of society in a Sentence
Noun
Poverty hurts society as a whole.
We need to do more to help the poorer members of our society.
the values of Western society
She was introduced to society at a formal reception.
The club's members are drawn from the ranks of high society.
Recent Examples on the Web
ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Finding a fix to AI’s emerging problems will be critical as society still grapples with the effects of social media technology after more than a decade of warnings from parents and child advocates.
—Matt O'Brien, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Leaders also recognized that laws alone do not change society.
—Tracy Baim, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
In college, she was selected to join the Mortar Board, a national honorary service society for women.
—Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for society
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Noun
During his 12-year pontificate, Francis famously celebrated the Holy Thursday ritual by traveling to Rome-area prisons and refugee centers to wash the feet of people most on society’s margins.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Finding a fix to AI’s emerging problems will be critical as society still grapples with the effects of social media technology after more than a decade of warnings from parents and child advocates.
—Matt O'Brien, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Leaders also recognized that laws alone do not change society.
—Tracy Baim, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
In college, she was selected to join the Mortar Board, a national honorary service society for women.
—Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for society
Cite this Entry
“Society.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/society. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
society
noun
so·ci·e·ty
sə-ˈsī-ə-tē
plural societies
1
: the benefits of love, care, affection, and companionship that family members receive from each other
sought damages for loss of society from his wife's wrongful death
compare consortium
2
: a voluntary association of individuals dedicated to common ends
a conservation society
3
: a community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests
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