antisocial

adjective

an·​ti·​so·​cial ˌan-tē-ˈsō-shəl  ˌan-ˌtī- 

1

: averse to the society of others : unsociable

2

: hostile or harmful to organized society

especially : being or marked by behavior deviating sharply from the social norm

3

psychology : of, relating to, or characteristic of antisocial personality disorder

Although community placement before discharge reduces subsequent antisocial behavior, most have apparently required outpatient mental health services indefinitely …

—Nathaniel S. Lehrman

antisocially

ˌan-tē-ˈsō-shə-lē

ˌan-ˌtī- 

adverb

Synonyms

• aloof
• asocial
• buttoned-up
• cold
• cold-eyed
• cool
• detached
• distant
• dry
• frosty
• offish
• remote
• standoff
• standoffish
• unbending
• unclubbable
• unsociable

Examples of antisocial in a Sentence

She's not being antisocial; she's just shy at parties.

she's not antisocial, just extremely shy

Recent Examples on the Web

To solve the murder of Treasury Department honcho Raymond King (J.K. Simmons, getting out while the getting is good) our fabled, antisocial hero forges an uneasy allegiance of convenience with the dead man’s protégé, Marybeth (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). —A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025

Many of them show signs of problem behavior in their early years and then engage in antisocial or violent behavior for most of their lives. —Jens Ludwig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025

More than a decade later, at age 15, the children self-reported on their antisocial behavior. —John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025

Rather, this person’s behavior is blatantly antisocial and concerning to boot. —R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing antisocial

• antisocial personality disorder

Rhymes for antisocial

• biosocial
• homosocial
• psychosocial
• asocial
• prosocial
• unsocial
• biopsychosocial
• social

Kids Definition

antisocial

adjective

an·​ti·​so·​cial ˌant-i-ˈsō-shəl 

ˌan-ˌtī-

1

: unfriendly sense 1

2

: being against or bad for society

especially : being or exhibiting behavior that is very different from accepted behavior

Medical Definition

antisocial

adjective

an·​ti·​so·​cial -ˈsō-shəl 

: hostile or harmful to organized society: as

a

: being or marked by behavior deviating sharply from the social norm

b

: of, relating to, or characterized by an antisocial personality, the antisocial personality disorder, or behavior typical of either