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society

n.
US //səˈsaɪəti// UK //səsˈaɪəti// so·ci·ety
  1. 1 people in general (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    all the people living together in a country or community, and the way they live.

    the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community; the collective body of citizens.

    Example

    Modern society relies heavily on technology for communication and work.

    Example

    The study examines how modern society adapts to rapid technological shifts while attempting to maintain traditional cultural values.

    Usage

    Often used without an article when referring to the general concept of people living together.
  2. 2 an organization (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a group of people who join together because they share a particular interest or aim.

    an organized group of persons associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes.

    Example

    She joined the university's debating society to improve her public speaking.

    Example

    The historical society maintains a comprehensive archive of local documents dating back to the town's founding in the eighteenth century.
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  1. 3 high society (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    the group of people in a community who are very rich, powerful, or famous.

    the aggregate of fashionable and wealthy people who form a distinct class in a community.

    Example

    The wedding was the biggest event of the year for local society.

    Example

    The novel provides a biting critique of high society, exposing the superficiality and rigid hierarchies of the urban elite.

    Teacher's tip

    In modern English, this sense is often used with 'high' or 'polite' to specify the social class.
    • working class
  2. 4 companionship (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary Formal

    the state of being with other people rather than being alone.

    the state of being in the company of others; companionship or social interaction.

    Example

    He lived alone for many years and rarely sought the society of others.

    Example

    After months of isolation in the wilderness, the explorer found himself longing for the society of his fellow humans.
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *sokʷéh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ṓy Proto-Indo-European *sokʷh₂ṓy Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Indo-European *sokʷyós Proto-Italic *sokjos Latin sokios Latin socius Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Proto-Italic *-tāts Latin -tās Latin societāslbor. Old French societé Middle French societébor. English society Borrowed from Middle French societé, from Old French societé, from Latin societās, societātem (“fellowship, association, alliance, union, community”), from socius (“associated, allied; partner, companion, ally”), from Proto-Indo-European sokʷ-yo- (“companion”), from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- (“to follow”). First attested in the 1530s.

Word family
Idioms2 entries

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