social distancing
noun
medical
: the practice of maintaining a greater than usual physical distance (such as six feet or more) from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people or objects in public places during the outbreak of a contagious disease in order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection : physical distancing
San Francisco issued recommendations for social distancing on Friday, advising residents to stay home as much as possible and avoid congregating in large groups.—
Taryn Luna and Melody Gutierrez
Taryn Luna and Melody GutierrezUnder a new "social distancing" strategy, handshaking could be discouraged, with other, less tactile forms of greeting taking its place.—Rosa Silverman
Rosa SilvermanThe term social distancing may be foreign to some, but the concept is one often practiced during the flu season, said Dora Anne Mills, the state's former top health official and currently chief health improvement officer for MaineHealth.—Gillian Graham
Gillian GrahamExamples of social distancing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2023, 243 people were diagnosed with TB across San Diego County, a number that represents a surge after counts fell to 193 in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic mandated social distancing and temporarily curtailed congregation in public places.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Detroit Public Library shut down 15 of its 21 branches to accommodate social distancing and limit the spread of the virus.
—Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
But, during the pandemic, courts or other officials had sometimes changed voting procedures to allow more absentee ballots or to enable social distancing.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024
People with cystic fibrosis have had to practice social distancing since long before COVID, because they are considered a danger to one another.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024
The birds, which like to waddle together in packed colonies, are not particularly good at social distancing.
—Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Two weeks ago, though, as social distancing became virtually a requirement, their bosses mandated just one in the studio, with the other two co-anchors joining remotely from home.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
During the pandemic, many hospitals around the country pivoted to virtual nursing to allow for social distancing and remote interaction with patient’s families.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Yet 2020 already seems historic—how remote so many of its rituals now feel, from the Lysol scrubbing of innocent groceries to the six-feet rule of social distancing.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Detroit Public Library shut down 15 of its 21 branches to accommodate social distancing and limit the spread of the virus.
—Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
But, during the pandemic, courts or other officials had sometimes changed voting procedures to allow more absentee ballots or to enable social distancing.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024
People with cystic fibrosis have had to practice social distancing since long before COVID, because they are considered a danger to one another.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024
The birds, which like to waddle together in packed colonies, are not particularly good at social distancing.
—Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Two weeks ago, though, as social distancing became virtually a requirement, their bosses mandated just one in the studio, with the other two co-anchors joining remotely from home.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
During the pandemic, many hospitals around the country pivoted to virtual nursing to allow for social distancing and remote interaction with patient’s families.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Yet 2020 already seems historic—how remote so many of its rituals now feel, from the Lysol scrubbing of innocent groceries to the six-feet rule of social distancing.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'social distancing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Social distancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20distancing. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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