social

social — adjective

IPA/ˈsəʊʃl/
KK[sˈoʃəl]IPA/ˈsəʊʃl/
  • socialpositive
  • more socialcomparative
  • most socialsuperlative

1. connected to occasions when people get together for enjoyment rather than for a

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

connected to occasions when people get together for enjoyment rather than for a job or school.

Example

Baraka goes to social events at his church every Sunday after the service.

social + noun (event)

The university dormitory organizes social activities to help new students make friends.

social + noun (activities)

Common collocations
  • social event
  • social gathering
  • social activity
  • social life
  • social club
  • social dinner
  • social hour
Synonyms
  • leisure

    focuses on free time rather than interaction with others

  • recreational

    emphasises activities done for enjoyment, not just socialising

  • communal

    stresses sharing with a group rather than pleasure

Antonyms
  • solitary

    done alone, without other people

Grammar Patterns

social + noun

be + social

Usage Note

Often pairs with nouns like 'event', 'activity', 'life', and 'gathering' to describe situations focused on enjoyment rather than work.

Common Mistakes

I had a social time at the park.
The park visit was a fun social outing.
'Social time' is not a natural collocation; use 'social outing' or 'social event' instead.

2. enjoying being with and talking to other people; having a personality that seeks

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

enjoying being with and talking to other people; having a personality that seeks out company.

Example

Élise is a social person who chats with everyone she meets on the train.

social + person

Ravindra became much more social after joining the school basketball team.

became + more social (predicative)

Common collocations
  • social person
  • social nature
  • social butterfly
  • not very social
  • more social
Synonyms
  • sociable

    nearly identical; 'sociable' is slightly more formal

  • outgoing

    emphasises being confident and energetic with people

  • gregarious

    stronger — describes someone who loves being in groups

  • friendly

    broader — can also mean kind and pleasant, not just sociable

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + social

social + person/nature/butterfly

Usage Note

Used predominantly as a predicative adjective (after 'be', 'become', 'seem'). When attributive, it modifies nouns like 'person', 'nature', or 'animal'.

Common Mistakes

She was very social at the meeting, talking to no one.
She was not very social at the meeting, preferring to sit alone.
'Social' means enjoying company; to describe the opposite, use 'not very social' or 'unsociable'.

3. concerning how people form communities, organise their shared life, and deal wit

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

concerning how people form communities, organise their shared life, and deal with issues that affect everyone in a society.

Example

The government must deal with social problems such as poverty and homelessness.

social + noun (problems)

Kabir attends town hall meetings to learn about social issues affecting his neighborhood.

social + noun (issues) for society sense

Common collocations
  • social issue
  • social problem
  • social change
  • social justice
  • social inequality
  • social class
  • social structure
  • social system
  • social condition
Synonyms
  • societal

    more formal and academic; used mostly in writing

  • community

    as a noun modifier, focuses on local groups rather than whole societies

  • public

    broader — refers to people in general, not just organised society

Antonyms
  • individual

    relating to a single person rather than a group

  • private

    concerning personal rather than community matters

Grammar Patterns

social + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used attributively (before a noun). Common collocates include 'issue', 'problem', 'change', 'justice', 'inequality', 'class', 'structure', and 'system'.

Common Mistakes

The social media has changed our lives.' (when meaning societal impact)
Social media has changed our lives in many ways.
'Social' in 'social media' belongs to noun sense 2; for societal effects, use 'social change' or 'social impact'.

social — noun

IPA/ˈsəʊ.ʃəl/
KK[sˈoʃəl]IPA/ˈsoʊ.ʃəl/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All five words describe people who enjoy interaction, but they differ in scope and intensity. 'Social' (the widest) simply means a person likes company — 'She is a social person.' 'Sociable' is nearly identical but sounds slightly more formal and is the preferred choice in writing. 'Outgoing' adds confidence and energy: an outgoing person approaches strangers easily, not just enjoys their company. 'Gregarious' is the strongest — it describes someone who truly loves being in crowds and groups, and is often used for animals too. 'Friendly' is broader than the rest: it includes kindness and warmth, not just a preference for company. For example, you can be friendly but not particularly social (polite but preferring solitude), but a social person is almost always friendly toward others.

social ↗sociable ↗outgoing ↗gregarious ↗friendly ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'social' comes from Latin 'socius', meaning 'companion' or 'ally'. From this, Latin formed 'socialis' ('of companionship, allied'), which passed into Old French as 'social' and then entered English around the 1500s. The earliest English meanings were about allies and partnerships. By the 1700s, the word had broadened to describe anything related to society as a whole, and by the 1800s it was also used for people who enjoy companionship.