society Hear it!

Jump To: synonymsSynonyms · examplesUsage Examples · quotesQuotes · linkLink/Cite
Also found in: idiomsAH Idiom Dictionary
society definition

so·ci·ety (sə sī′ə tē)

noun pl. societies -·ties

  1. a group of persons regarded as forming a single community, esp. as forming a distinct social or economic class
  2. the system or condition of living together as a community in such a group an agrarian society
  3. all people, collectively, regarded as constituting a community of related, interdependent individuals a law for the good of society
  4. company or companionship to seek another's society
  5. one's friends or associates
  6. any organized group of people joined together because of work, interests, etc. in common a medical society
    1. a group of persons regarded or regarding itself as a dominant class, usually because of wealth, birth, education, etc. her debut into society
    2. the conduct, standards, activities, etc. of this class
  8. a group of animals or plants living together in a single environment and regarded as constituting a homogeneous unit or entity

Etymology: MFr société < L societas < socius, companion: see social

adjective

of or characteristic of society () the society page of a newspaper

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms society idiom

society Synonyms

society

n.

  1. Friendly association

    friendship, social intercourse, fellowship; see organization 3.

  2. Organized humanity

    the public, civilization, culture, nation, community, human groupings, the people, the world at large, social life.

  3. Those who indulge in wealth and leisure

    high life, élite, aristocracy, gentlefolk, polite society, wealthy class, haut monde (French), smart set*, the Four Hundred*, jet set*.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

society Usage Examples

Preposition: as

  • whole: However, monasteries in the Middle Ages had a key function not only for their order, but also for society as a whole.

Converse of object

  • divide: The present social structures tend to reinforce those factors that divide society.

Adjective modifier

  • civil: In fact it is a European lobby of ' civil society ' groups like the Helsinki Citizens Assembly.

Possessives

  • today: There seems to be a culture present in today's society within which the natural world around us is held in denial.

Noun used with modifier

  • multicultural: Let us not forget that France is now a multicultural society.
society usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

society quotes

Our society distributes itself into Barbarians, Philistines, and Populace; and America is just ourselves, with the Barbarians quite left out, and the Populace nearly.

-Arnold, Matthew

   It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in our society today† This, in turn, means that our statesmen, our businessmen, our everyman must take on a science fictional way of thinking.

-Asimov, Isaac

Man seeketh in society comfort, use, and protection.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

society quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"society." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 3 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/society>

APA Style

society. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 3rd, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/society

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment