Social means relating to society or human interaction; it also describes a person who enjoys the company of others. Social media has changed how people communicate.
What Does Social Mean?
The word social entered English in the 16th century from the Latin socialis ("of companionship, allied"), itself derived from socius meaning "companion" or "ally". The underlying root relates to the idea of joining together, which is why social still carries a strong sense of people being connected to one another. By the 18th century it had developed its modern senses relating to organised human communities and the qualities of individuals who enjoy interaction.
In contemporary British English, social is used across an exceptionally wide range of contexts. In formal and academic writing it describes structures, problems, and policies affecting whole communities: social inequality, social policy, social cohesion. In everyday speech it can describe a person's character (she's very social) or an informal gathering (a works social). In the digital age, the compound social media has become one of the most frequent noun phrases in the language.
A useful distinction: social is a broad descriptive adjective applied to almost anything involving people and society, whereas sociable is more specifically used to describe a person's character — their willingness and ability to engage warmly with others.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| She has a very active social life and goes out most weekends. | A2 — social + noun phrase |
| Social media has changed how people communicate with their friends. | B1 — social media as compound noun |
| The government announced a new package of social reforms. | B1 — social as pre-modifier in formal context |
| Growing social inequality remains one of the biggest challenges facing modern democracies. | B2 — social in academic/political register |
| Language acquisition is fundamentally a social process, shaped by interaction with more proficient speakers. | C1 — social in academic prose, attributive position |
Common Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| social media | She runs a popular social media account about cooking. |
| social skills | Good social skills are essential in customer-facing roles. |
| social worker | A social worker visited the family twice a week. |
| social class | Social class still affects educational outcomes in the UK. |
| social life | Moving to a new city is a great opportunity to build a social life. |
| social security | He applied for social security benefits after losing his job. |
| social interaction | Regular social interaction is vital for mental well-being. |
| social change | The 1960s were a period of rapid social change. |
| social network | LinkedIn is a professional social network. |
| social distancing | Social distancing measures were introduced during the pandemic. |
Usage Notes
Key Points for ESL Learners
- Social vs sociable: Use social to describe anything relating to society or groups (social problems, social media). Use sociable to describe a person who is friendly and enjoys company. You can say a sociable person, but not typically a social person in British English unless the context is clear.
- Social media is singular: In British English, social media is treated as an uncountable noun and takes a singular verb: Social media has changed journalism (not have changed).
- Noun use: Social can occasionally be used as a noun meaning an informal gathering, particularly in community or workplace contexts: We're having a social on Friday evening. This is informal and mainly British.
- Word family: The adjective social generates a rich word family — socially (adverb), society (noun), socialise (verb), socialisation (noun), sociable (adjective), antisocial (adjective).
- Register: Social works across all registers, from casual speech (social life) to academic writing (social stratification) and policy documents (social housing). The collocations you choose signal the register clearly.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
Social medias have changed communication. (social media is uncountable — no plural form)
Social media has changed communication.
She is very social and loves talking to people. (acceptable in American English, but in British English prefer sociable for this sense)
She is very sociable and loves talking to people.
He did an anti-social behaviour. (the noun is uncountable in this context)
He displayed antisocial behaviour. (no article; antisocial is one word)