- the totality of social relationships among organized groups of human beings or animals
- a system of human organizations generating distinctive cultural patterns and institutions and usually providing protection, security, continuity, and a national identity for its members
- such a system with reference to its mode of social and economic organization or its dominant class: middle-class society
- those with whom one has companionship
- an organized group of people associated for some specific purpose or on account of some common interest: a learned society
- the privileged class of people in a community, esp as considered superior or fashionable
- (as modifier): a society woman
- the social life and intercourse of such people: to enter society as a debutante
- companionship; the fact or state of being together with someone else: I enjoy her society
- a small community of plants within a larger association
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
so•ci•e•ty /səˈsaɪɪti/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -ties, adj.
n.
adj. [before a noun]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026n.
- Sociology human beings thought of as a group and viewed as members of a community:[uncountable]the evolution of society.
- Sociologya highly structured system of human organization for a large-scale community: [uncountable]a look at American society.[countable]They studied societies of ancient Egypt and Greece.
- Sociology a group of people associated together for religious, cultural, scientific, or other purposes:[countable]an Irish-American cultural society.
- Sociology the social life of wealthy, well-known, or fashionable persons, or the class of these people:[uncountable]people in high society.
adj. [before a noun]
- of or relating to elegant society:a society photographer.
so•ci•e•ty
(sə sī′i tē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -ties, adj.
n.
adj.
so•ci′e•ty•less, adj.
n.
- Sociologyan organized group of persons associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes.
- Sociologya body of individuals living as members of a community;
community. - Sociologythe body of human beings generally, associated or viewed as members of a community:the evolution of human society.
- Sociologya highly structured system of human organization for large-scale community living that normally furnishes protection, continuity, security, and a national identity for its members:American society.
- Sociologysuch a system characterized by its dominant economic class or form:middle-class society; industrial society.
- Sociologythose with whom one has companionship.
- Sociologycompanionship;
company:to enjoy one's society. - Sociologythe social life of wealthy, prominent, or fashionable persons.
- Sociologythe social class that comprises such persons.
- Sociologythe condition of those living in companionship with others, or in a community, rather than in isolation.
- Ecology[Biol.]a closely integrated group of social organisms of the same species exhibiting division of labor.
- Religion[Eccles.]an ecclesiastical society.
adj.
- of, pertaining to, or characteristic of elegant society:a society photographer.
- Latin societās, equivalent. to soci(us) partner, comrade + -etās, variant of -itās- -ity
- Middle French societe
- 1525–35
- 1. association, fellowship, fraternity, brotherhood, company. See circle. 7. fellowship.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
society /səˈsaɪətɪ/ n ( pl -ties)
'society' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
academy
- act
- affluent society
- alienation
- allegiance
- alternative
- Anglo-Norman
- annals
- annual general meeting
- anomie
- antisocial
- apothecary
- ASLEF
- asocial
- association
- autocracy
- Baader-Meinhof Gang
- Babylon
- Band of Hope
- Beaton
- beau monde
- benefice
- benefit society
- Bloch
- bluestocking
- book
- Bora Bora
- bounds
- bourgeoisie
- Boxer
- Brahmanism
- BRCS
- brethren
- bring out
- Broederbond
- brother
- building society
- bylaw
- Carolean
- Caroline
- carriage trade
- CAS
- Casanova
- cash card
- caste
- chapter
- charter
- chattering classes
- cheque account
- chequebook