: 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
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
Noun
The woman who has been at the center of our national life for so long—woven into every part of our society on our stamps, coins and national institutions for seven decades— has gone. Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, 9 Sep. 2022 Our society’s longing for special masters to solve an increasing number of problems is yet another sign that democracy is not in good health. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2022 Suicide remains a taboo subject in our society, but for survivor families there are additional layers of guilt and anxiety, in addition to their deep sadness. Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 7 Sep. 2022 Family and my Pet Albus has been evacuated on a Tractor from our society that’s now submerged. Saritha Rai, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 China’s fertility rate in 2020 came in at 1.3, below even the 1.34 that year in Japan, known for its aging society. Liyan Qi, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022 Suicide remains a taboo subject in our society, but for survivor families there are additional layers of guilt and anxiety, in addition to their deep sadness. Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 Suicide remains a taboo subject in our society, but for survivor families there are additional layers of guilt and anxiety, in addition to their deep sadness. Amy Dickinson, cleveland, 4 Sep. 2022 Each meal is a reflection of the history, culture, beliefs, and the natural environment of their society of origin. Uwagbale Edward-ekpu, Quartz, 2 Sep. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle French societé, from Latin societat-, societas, from socius companion — more at social