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
Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
But the public trust doctrine itself has been historically incremental, expanding and contracting as society and the needs of its citizens change over time.
—Alexandra Klass, The Conversation, 2 May 2025
So there’s this strength in the society, which is really inspiring and powerful and devastating as well.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
In the 1970s, Vogue editor Diana Vreeland positioned the gala as the opening soiree of the Institute’s major exhibitions and invited the crème de la crème of the fashion world and New York society.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for society
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Talitha Frazier, Gonzalez’s sister-in-law, told WTNH that the fight was more proof that Smith was unhinged and a threat to society.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
But the public trust doctrine itself has been historically incremental, expanding and contracting as society and the needs of its citizens change over time.
—Alexandra Klass, The Conversation, 2 May 2025
So there’s this strength in the society, which is really inspiring and powerful and devastating as well.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
In the 1970s, Vogue editor Diana Vreeland positioned the gala as the opening soiree of the Institute’s major exhibitions and invited the crème de la crème of the fashion world and New York society.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for society
Cite this Entry
“Society.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/society. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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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