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society

society

∞ 2.0
A large group of people who share the same culture and way of life
  • noun
  • /səˈsaɪ.ə.ti/
: sociedad
  • We’re just the product of what society made us into.
  • civil society
  • modern society
  • democratic society

Is that what we as a society see as our future?

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Examples

  • Education plays a crucial role in shaping the values of our society.

  • The future of our society depends on our children.

  • Is that what we as a society see as our future?

  • And it may not be what our society values.

  • Yes, we live in a society, but also society lives in you.

  • The attention of our society is on these platforms.

  • Part of the problem was that not everyone in society benefited equally from the prosperity.

    Academic text (2008)
  • We need to understand this man for the betterment of society.

  • In these headlines, the media exemplify how society is divided over the regulation of marriage.

    Academic text (2011)
  • What people think and decide to do drives some of society's best ideas and achievements.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

civilization
vssociety
406 3.7

An advanced society with its own culture and way of life

is more general and does not imply advanced development or complexity
social system
vssociety
27 3.9

A group of people with shared rules and roles for living together

is the broader group sharing culture and institutions rather than only structure
body politic
vssociety
  • Formal
11 7.5

People of a country seen as one group under one government

is wider, focusing on shared culture and economic systems not only political unity

Idioms

To serve the punishment for a crime, often by going to prison

Compounds

A group whose members keep their identity and activities hidden from others

13 4.2

A group of rich, fashionable people with social influence

12 5.6

An independent society in the United Kingdom that supports excellent scientific work

open society
  • Formal
10 5.1

A community where people can speak freely, join groups, and vote

7 3.8

An organization that works to protect birds and teach people about nature

The ideas and rules most people in a place accept

A society organized by groups of related families with traditional customs

A group of people who praise each other too much

A Christian group called Quakers who believe in peace and have simple religious meetings

A Roman Catholic religious order that runs schools and sends people to teach religion

dystopian society
  • Literature
1 7.4

A society where people are controlled and have few personal freedoms

1 6.1

A group that gives membership to people for good work in a field like science or art

A group of people who do not believe in God or religion

1 3.4

A place like a bank where people save money and get loans to buy houses

A Christian group also called Quakers who value peace and simple living

A British group that supports slow democratic change to make society fairer

An island group in French Polynesia that includes Tahiti and Bora Bora

People who hunt animals and gather wild plants for food and move from place to place

A religious group that worships Krishna, a Hindu god, and shares its beliefs worldwide

1 9.8

A political group in the Democratic Party in New York City that used corruption to gain power

A Christian group in the United States that does not marry, lives together, and stays peaceful, often called the Shakers

1 9.9

A group of educated women who meet to talk about books and ideas, often in the 18th and 19th centuries

9.9

A society with very little government where people have strong personal freedom and free markets

A change where society becomes softer and less strict about people's behaviour

An important English society that supports scientists and promotes science

How Big

civilization
406 3.7
nation
∞ 1.7
society
∞ 2.0
community
∞ 2.8

Surface Forms

society singular
societies plural

Etymology

Society comes from the Latin words socius 'companion' and societas 'companionship', and over time the idea grew to mean the whole community of people who live and work together. So society now often means a group with its own shared customs and ways of living.