Word definition: social

Etimology


From Middle French social, from Latin sociālis (“of or belonging to a companion or companionship or association, social”), from socius (“a companion, fellow, partner, associate, ally”), from sequor (“follow”). Cognate with English seg (“man, companion, fellow”). More at seg.

adjective


social (comparative more social, superlative most social)

Being extroverted or outgoing.

Of or relating to society.

(Internet) Relating to social media or social networks.

(rare) Relating to a nation's allies.

(biology) Cooperating or growing in groups.

Examples


James is a very social guy; he knows lots of people.

Not ignoring what is good, I am quick to perceive a horror, and could still be social with it—would they let me—since it is but well to be on friendly terms with all the inmates of the place one lodges in.

Phoenix and Lubbock are both caught in severe drought, and it is going to get much worse. We may see many such [dust] storms in the decades ahead, along with species extinctions, radical disturbance of ecosystems, and intensified social conflict over land and water. Welcome to the Anthropocene, the epoch when humans have become a major geological and climatic force.

Teresa feels uncomfortable in certain social situations.

Unemployment is a social problem.

social gaming

the Social War

a social insect

Related words


antonyms

antisocial

unsocial

asocial

related terms

sociality

societal

noun


social (countable and uncountable, plural socials)

A festive gathering to foster introductions.

(Canadian Prairies) A dance held to raise money, often held for a couple to be married.

(Britain, colloquial, with definite article) Ellipsis of social security.

(US, colloquial) Ellipsis of social security number.

(dated, Ireland) A dinner dance event, usually held annually by a company or sporting club.

(Canada) Ellipsis of social studies.

(Internet, informal, uncountable) Ellipsis of social media.

(Internet, informal, countable) A social media account; the username or handle thereof, or a link thereto.

Examples


They organized a social at the dance club to get people to know each other.

Fred hated going down to the social to sign on.

What's your social? [asked so that the asker can look up your account details]

discussing the social strategies of various companies

“I saw that shift, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s the future of social,’” Systrom said.

Also check out some other experts in this topic — their socials are in the pinned comment below.

Close your mouth and delete all your socials tonight.

Data provided by Wiktionary