societal

/səˈsaɪətl/ (bre, ipa) · /səˈsaɪətl/ (ame, ipa) · /sə-ˈsī-ə-tᵊl/ (ame, mw)

societal — adjective

  • societalpositive
  • more societalcomparative
  • most societalsuperlative

1. of or relating to the structure, organisation, and common issues of a community

1.形容詞B2
釋義

of or relating to the structure, organisation, and common issues of a community or society as a whole — used when describing broad patterns among groups of people, rather than individual personal matters.

例句

Rapid population growth in Cairo created new societal pressures on housing and public transport.

collocation: societal pressures

Professor Wei Chen's research examines the societal changes brought by digital technology in Shanghai.

formal register: common in academic writing

同義詞
  • social

    broader in scope — covers both interpersonal and structural matters; less formal than 'societal'

  • public

    emphasises the general population rather than the structure of society

  • communal

    focuses on a specific local community rather than society at large

反義詞
  • individual

    relating to one person rather than the whole community

  • personal

    relating to private life rather than public structures

文法句型

societal + noun

用法筆記

More formal than 'social'. 'Societal' is used almost exclusively before a noun (attributive position) and appears most often in academic, policy, and journalistic writing. 'Social' covers both individual interaction and broad community patterns; 'societal' is reserved for the large-scale, structural dimension.

常見錯誤

❌The couple faced societal pressure from their families.
✅The couple faced social pressure from their families.
💡'Societal' fits large-scale patterns (e.g. national policy), not small-group dynamics; use 'social' for family or peer expectations.