: of or relating to society : social
societal forces

Examples of societal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Anthropic has pledged 5% of its shares—currently worth about $48 billion—to a new public benefit fund designed to address societal impacts of AI, with additional shares to be committed as the company’s valuation rises. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026 Carson draws parallels between the familial traumas of those who remain and the broader societal wounds of a province still healing from decades of sectarian violence. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 Elon Musk and officials at AI giant Anthropic are pledging to give coveted shares in their companies to the general public as concerns about AI’s economic and societal impact continue to pile up. — Rob Wile, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026 But the eleventh-hour blitz of No On 3 ads that Keep Florida Clean funded, warning of the greed of Big Weed, inflamed voters’ private worries of societal decay. — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for societal

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of societal was in 1890

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Cite this Entry

“Societal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/societal. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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