Adjacent Words

Society definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SOCI'ETY, n. [L. societas, from socius, a companion. See Sociable.]
1. The union of a number of rational beings; or a number of persons united, either for a temporary or permanent purpose. Thus the inhabitants of a state or of a city constitute a society, having common interests; and hence it is called a community. In a more enlarged sense, the whole race or family of man is a society, and called human society. The true and natural foundation of society, are the wants and fears of individuals.
2. Any number of persons associated for a particular purpose, whether incorporated by law, or only united by articles of agreement; a fraternity. Thus we have bible societies for various objects; societies for mechanics, and leaned societies; societies for encouraging arts, etc.
3. Company; a temporary association of persons for profit or pleasure. In this sense, company is more generally used.
4. Conpany; fellowship. We frequent the society of those we love and esteem.
5. Partnership; fellowship; union on equal terms. Among unequals what society can sort? Heav'n's greatness no society can bear.
6. Persons living in the same neighborhood, who frequently meet in company and have fellowship. Literary society renders a place interesting and agreeable.
7. In Connecticut, a number of families united and incorporated for the purpose of supporting public worship, is called an exxlesiastical society. This is a parish, except that it has not territorial limits. In Massachusetts, such as incorporated society is usually called a parish, though consisting of persons only, without regard to territory.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
2: a formal association of people with similar interests; "he joined a golf club"; "they formed a small lunch society"; "men from the fraternal order will staff the soup kitchen today" [syn: club, social club, society, guild, gild, lodge, order]
3: the state of being with someone; "he missed their company"; "he enjoyed the society of his friends" [syn: company, companionship, fellowship, society]
4: the fashionable elite [syn: society, high society, beau monde, smart set, bon ton]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural -ties) Etymology: Middle French societé, from Latin societat-, societas, from socius companion — more at social Date: 1531 1. 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 (as a hive of bees); broadly an interdependent system of organisms or biological units II. adjective Date: 1693 of, relating to, or typical of fashionable society

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 the sum of human conditions and activity regarded as a whole functioning interdependently. 2 a social community (all societies must have firm laws). 3 a a social mode of life. b the customs and organization of an ordered community. 4 Ecol. a plant community. 5 a the socially advantaged or prominent members of a community (society would not approve). b this, or a part of it, qualified in some way (is not done in polite society). 6 participation in hospitality; other people's homes or company (avoids society). 7 companionship, company (avoids the society of such people). 8 an association of persons united by a common aim or interest or principle (formed a music society). Phrases and idioms: Society of Friends see QUAKER. Society of Jesus see JESUIT. Derivatives: societal adj. (esp. in sense 1). societally adv. Etymology: F société f. L societas -tatis f. socius companion

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Society So*ci"e*ty, n.; pl. Societies. [L. societas, fr. socius a companion: cf. F. soci['e]t['e]. See Social.] 1. The relationship of men to one another when associated in any way; companionship; fellowship; company. ``Her loved society.'' --Milton. There is society where none intrudes By the deep sea, and music in its roar. --Byron. 2. Connection; participation; partnership. [R.] The meanest of the people and such as have the least society with the acts and crimes of kings. --Jer. Taylor. 3. A number of persons associated for any temporary or permanent object; an association for mutual or joint usefulness, pleasure, or profit; a social union; a partnership; as, a missionary society. 4. The persons, collectively considered, who live in any region or at any period; any community of individuals who are united together by a common bond of nearness or intercourse; those who recognize each other as associates, friends, and acquaintances. 5. Specifically, the more cultivated portion of any community in its social relations and influences; those who mutually give receive formal entertainments. Society of Jesus. See Jesuit. Society verses [a translation of F. vers de soci['e]t['e]], the lightest kind of lyrical poetry; verses for the amusement of polite society.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(societies) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. Society is people in general, thought of as a large organized group. This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society... He maintains Islam must adapt to modern society. N-UNCOUNT 2. A society is the people who live in a country or region, their organizations, and their way of life. We live in a capitalist society. ...those responsible for destroying our African heritage and the fabric of our society. N-VAR: with supp 3. A society is an organization for people who have the same interest or aim. ...the North of England Horticultural Society. ...the historical society. = association N-COUNT 4. Society is the rich, fashionable people in a particular place who meet on social occasions. ...the high season for society weddings. N-UNCOUNT: oft N n 5. see also building society

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Association, fellowship, company, social sympathy, companionship, converse. 2. Participation, connection, association. 3. Association, union, partnership, copartnership, club, fellowship, company, sodality, fraternity, brotherhood, corporation, body. 4. The community, the public, the world.

Moby Thesaurus

Bund, Everyman, John Doe, Public, Rochdale cooperative, Vanity Fair, academy, acculturation, affiliation, alliance, ashram, assemblage, assembly, association, associational, axis, band, bash, beau monde, beautiful people, belt, best people, biff, bloc, body, body politic, bop, box, branch, brethren, brotherhood, buffet, bust, cafe society, camaraderie, carriage trade, caste, chop, church, churchgoers, circle, citizenry, civilization, clan, class, clout, club, coalition, coalitional, college, colony, combination, combine, common man, common market, commonwealth, communal, commune, communion, community, community at large, companionship, company, complex, confederacy, confederation, confraternity, confrerie, congregation, consociation, consortship, constituency, consumer cooperative, cooperation, cooperative, cooperative society, corps, council, country club, cream of society, credit union, cultural community, cultural drift, culture, culture area, culture center, culture complex, culture conflict, culture contact, culture pattern, culture trait, customs union, denomination, division, drawing room, dwellers, economic class, economic community, elite, endogamous group, estate, ethnic group, ethos, everybody, everyman, everyone, everywoman, extended family, faction, family, fashionable society, federation, fellowship, flock, fold, folk, folks, folkways, fraternal order, fraternity, fraternization, free trade area, friendship, gang, general public, gens, gentry, good society, group, grouping, guild, habitancy, haut monde, high life, high society, in-crowd, inhabitants, institute, intercourse, jet set, jeunesse doree, key trait, kinship group, laity, laymen, league, linguistic community, machine, mankind, masses, membership, men, minyan, mob, moiety, monde, mores, nation, nationality, nonclerics, nonordained persons, nuclear family, offshoot, order, organization, organizational, parish, parishioners, partaking, participation, partnership, party, paste, people, people at large, people in general, people of fashion, persons, persuasion, phratria, phratry, phyle, polite society, political machine, polity, populace, population, public, punch, race, religious order, right people, ring, salon, schism, school, secret society, sect, sectarism, seculars, segment, settlement, sharing, sheep, sisterhood, slap, smack, smart set, smash, sociable, social, social class, social register, societe, sock, sodality, sorority, speech community, state, stock, strain, subcaste, system, the Four Hundred, the public, thwack, totem, trait, trait-complex, union, upper classes, upper crust, uppercut, variety, version, way of life, welt, whack, whole people, world, world of fashion, you and me