# social

Pronunciation: say "SOH-shuhl" US /ˈsoʊ.ʃəl/, UK /ˈsəʊ.ʃəl/

## Adjective

1. Connected with human society and the relationships between the people living in it.
   - Simple: Connected with people and how they live together in groups.
   - _Researchers study how social class affects access to education._
   - _Sweeping social changes followed the rise of cities and factories._
2. Connected with online platforms where people share content and connect with one another.
   - Simple: Connected with online sites where people share posts and chat.
   - _The team measured how their new social strategy boosted engagement._
   - _Many news stories now spread first through social channels._
3. Enjoying the company of others and tending to be outgoing and friendly.
   - Simple: Liking to be with other people and enjoying their company.
   - _He is so social that he organizes a team lunch almost every week._
   - _Even as a child she was remarkably social, befriending everyone on the block._
9. Living, cooperating, or growing together in organized groups rather than alone.
   - Simple: Living or growing together in groups instead of alone.
   - _Bees are highly social, dividing labor among thousands of individuals._
   - _Wolves are social animals that hunt and raise their young together._

## Noun

4. Short form of social media: websites and apps for sharing posts, treated as a single channel for communication or marketing. *(colloquial)* — Ellipsis of social media.
   - Simple: Short form of social media: apps and websites where people share posts and photos.
   - _The marketing team posts to social every morning._
   - _He learned about the event through social, not the news._
6. A party or other gathering organized by a club, church, company, or similar group so that its members or guests can meet and enjoy themselves.
   - Simple: A party that a club, church, or company holds so people can meet and have a good time.
   - _The church hosts a monthly social for newcomers to the area._
   - _After the social, several strangers had become good friends._
7. Short form of social security number: the nine-digit number the US government issues to identify a person for taxes, benefits and records. *(colloquial, US)* — Ellipsis of social security number.
   - Simple: Short for social security number: the nine-digit number the US government uses to identify a person for taxes and benefits.
   - _You'll need your social to apply for the loan._
   - _The form asked for my name, address, and social._
8. An account on a social media platform, including its username, handle, or a link to it. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: An account on a social media site, or its username or link.
   - _Can you send me your social? I want to see your latest photos._
   - _The artist linked all her socials at the bottom of the page._
5. Short form of social security: state welfare benefits, or the government office where people claim them. *(colloquial, British)* — Ellipsis of social security.
   - Simple: Short for social security: government money for people who need support, or the office where they claim it.
   - _Many families in the town ended up on the social when the mine shut down._
   - _The social paid his rent while he looked for work._
10. Short form of social studies: the school subject combining history, geography, civics and related fields. *(Canada)* — Ellipsis of social studies.
   - Simple: Short form of social studies: a school class about history, places, and how people live together.
   - _Our social teacher assigned a report on the Constitution._
   - _He always finished his social homework first._
11. A fundraising dance, frequently held to collect money for a couple about to be married. *(dialectal, Canadian Prairies)*
   - Simple: A dance held to raise money, often to help a couple pay for their wedding.
   - _The couple's friends organized a social to cover the costs of their big day._
   - _The whole town came out to the social, and the money went to help the young couple pay for their wedding._

## Adjective

12. Connected with a nation's allies or confederates, especially those bound to it by treaty. *(rare)*
   - Simple: Connected with the friends or partners that a country fights alongside.

## Origin

Latin socius ("a companion, fellow, partner, associate, ally") shares a root with sequor ("follow"). Socius gave sociālis ("of or belonging to a companion, companionship, or association"), which English borrowed through Middle French social.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/social (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).