Word family noun society sociologist sociology sociability social socialism socialist socialite socialization sociopath adjective sociable ≠ unsociable social ≠ anti-social unsocial socialist socialistic societal sociological sociopathic verb socialize adverb socially sociably sociologically
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsocialso‧cial1 /ˈsəʊʃəl $ ˈsoʊ-/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 1 societySSSOCIETY relating to human society and its organization, or the quality of people’s lives social issues, such as unemployment and education the country’s serious social problems a challenge to the social order (=how a particular society is organized)2 rankSSCLASS IN SOCIETY relating to your position in society, according to your job, family, wealth etc The students come from a variety of social classes (=groups of people that have the same social position). the social status of her family3 meeting peopleSSSOCIALIZE relating to meeting people, forming relationships with them, and spending time with them social interaction a club with lots of social events Exercise classes are a good way to keep fit and improve your social life. Group play helps children develop social skills (=ability to deal with people easily). He lacked social graces (=good and polite behaviour towards other people).4 someone who is social enjoys meeting and talking to other people SYN sociable5 animalsHBA forming groups or living together in their natural state OPP solitary Elephants are social animals. → antisocial, sociable, unsocialCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: relating to meeting people, forming relationships with them, and spending time with themnounssomebody's social life (=activities that involve being with other people for pleasure)Teenagers enjoy an active social life.social skills (=the ability to deal with people easily)In school, the children also learn social skills.social graces (=good and polite behaviour towards other people)I had none of the social graces of my fellow pupils.social contact/interactionWork provides social contact.a social call (=one that does not relate to business)Don't misunderstand, this is purely a social call. Examples from the Corpus
social• The child at the stage of concrete operations can assume the viewpoint of others and spoken language is social and communicative.• Governments have made efforts to improve women's social and economic status.• Elephants are social animals.• demands for social change• social changes that brought women even greater freedom• True believers are adamant that without annexation there can be no financial or social equity in Tucson -- end of discussion.• the struggle for social justice• Full of character, Paxos has an easy social life, ideal for people on holiday by themselves.• As yet there has been little research considering early retirement among women and its social meaning and impact.• Rising unemployment led to even more social problems.• Subjectivity becomes contained in discourse: a solution which does not deal adequately with its complicated place in psychology and social relations.• Here we need to rely on our social scientific knowledge about our own legal and social institutions.• Not least important, marriage is a great social stabilizer of men.• Our social worker came and he said Mum had told him I had a boyfriend.the social order• At the same time, he envisaged these innate and largely egoistic tendencies as threatening to the social order.• For the utilitarian, apparently, it was enough to demonstrate the advantages offered by the social order.• In the philosophical tradition there have been two tendencies with respect to epistemological concerns and concerns about the social order.• Members of these groups, which are linked together in an organic whole, work cooperatively to maintain the social order.• Plots, conspiracies, secrets of revolution, secrets of the end of the social order.• There are people in these centers of participation in the social order.• The church ensures that this concept of being part of the social order of things is adhered to.social classes• Students come from a wide variety of social classes.• Coverage by occupational pension schemes is not, however, evenly distributed amongst all social classes.• Private renting tends to be a residual tenure for all the social classes.• The differences between girls and boys are small compared with the differences between localities, types of school and social classes.• To bring about this sense of community, Eliot includes historical and contemporary Londoners of various social classes.• In spite of this, however, differences in infant and adult mortality rates between social classes have widened.• Once thought of as a disorder of upper social classes, it now seems to be well represented across the socioeconomic spectrum.• While she affirmed learning across social classes, Jane Addams was a critic of higher education.• Firstly, hopes that opening the universities to lower social classes might reveal untapped reserves of brain-power have been disappointed.social graces• Dona wanted to be alone and was bored with social graces.• We have a very high premium on courtesy, politeness, observing the social graces.• She seemed like a princess to him, not just for her social graces but for her social standing and wealth.• So Mrs Thatcher, demonstrating hitherto unsuspected social graces, decided to step into the breach herself.• I have never found that my lack of social graces has been a hindrance.social animals• For us, it is a necessary ingredient, perhaps in no small measure because we are social animals.• There is no reason to doubt that such mixtures of behaviour would not occur in social animals.• Like families gathered at Christmas, social animals are poised between cooperation and conflict.• Generally, then, one would expect to find reciprocation in populations of highly social animals living in small intensely interactive groups.• These conflicts are the very essence of being the social animals we are.socialsocial2 noun 1 SSDL[countable] a party for the members of a group, club, or church2 → the socialExamples from the Corpus
social• She looked like the kind of girl you would have met at a church social.• There would be whispers at the church socials, catty remarks behind her back in the supermarket aisles.• A synagogue canceled its ice cream social and auction sale.• We also hold socials, parties, and organise day trips, again free of charge.• This is not to underestimate the Club's previous social calendar which for many years included successful dinner dances and club socials.From Longman Business Dictionarysocialso‧cial /ˈsəʊʃəlˈsoʊ-/ adjective1concerning human society and its organization, or the quality of people’s livesThe only measurable social cost of high speed rail is that of noise.Companies who dump waste are ignoring their social responsibility.2related to people’s position in society, according to their job, family, wealth etcBritish lawyers enjoy a higher social status than French ones.Money management is not, as you might expect, dominated by the upper social classes.3HUMAN RESOURCES concerning the relationship between companies and employees, and between companies and societyThis is the first time that institutional investors have challenged a company on environmental and social issues.4related to activities you do to enjoy yourself when you are not at workThe firm spent thousands of dollars on social gatherings.5related to the way you meet people and form relationshipsWe are looking for graduates with a high level of social skills (=ability to meet people easily and deal with them well).Origin social1 (1600-1700) Latin socialis, from socius “someone you spend time with” 