Hunger is one of the greatest social miseries.
Source: tatoeba (18156)
Social
/ˈsoʊ.ʃəl/
Synonyms for "social" (168 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (34)
Adjective(8 words)
societalaffiliativeanimal groupciviccollective plancollective welfarescommunalcommunalistic education
Noun(7 words)
assimilatingchitchattingcivil progress metricsclub meetingcollective memory studiescollective motivecommunal living space
Strong matches (50)
communisticcommunitycommutualcompanionablecompanionatecompatiblecongenialconjointconvivialcooperativecordialcosmopolitancourteousdanceentertainingfamiliarfit for societyfond of societyfriendlygathering
Show 6 more words
Noun(11 words)
Adjective(13 words)
cultural beliefscultural conceptcultural contextcultural gatheringscultural honorcultural practicescultural revolutionscultural societycultural termcultural typeelite club culturegatheringget together
Related words (84)
Noun(24 words)
group interactiongroup livinginterpersonal actinterpersonal relationinterpersonal relationsinterpersonal relationshipsminglingmixermore interpersonalmore societalmost societalnetworking termpeople skillspublic interaction rulespublic-lifesociablesocial life eventssocial science topicsocietal changesocietal framework
Show 4 more words
Adjective(25 words)
group orientedinterpersonalinterpersonal chemistriesinterpersonal communicationinterpersonal competenceinterpersonal dynamicsinterpersonal interactioninterpersonal skillinterpersonal tacticnoncognitiveorganizational typepartypublic lifesociablesocial descriptor valuesocial practicessocietal conceptsocietal conditionsocietal descriptorsocietal order
Show 5 more words
hospitablein commoninternationaljointleveematineemutualnationalneighborlyneighbourlyorganizationalpleasantpleasurablepopularpublicreceptionreciprocalreunionsalonsexual
Show 13 more words
sociablesocial affairsocial gatheringsocial-mindedsocialisticsocietalsocietysoireestatesupranationalurbanevenerealwake
Determiner(2 words)
most cultural artifactmost human activity
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: societal, affable, affair, affiliative, amiable.
- Sentence evidence is available for social, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "social".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "social"
Keep "social" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "social" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "social", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "social" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
13 entriescivic lifeclass discussionclass structurecommunal activitycommunity networkdancefundraisergroup projectlocal governmentpicnicsocial circletea partyteam sport
Collocations
7 entriessocial environmentsocial interactionsocial lifesocial mediasocial skillssocial studiessocial worker
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
10 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
9 entriesSample sentences
25 total sentences available.
Social unrest may come about as a result of the endless rising of prices.
Source: tatoeba (20824)
Some scholars ascribe the settlement of America to social unrest in Western Europe.
Source: tatoeba (21462)
We must work hard to break down social barriers.
Source: tatoeba (22925)
Showing 4 of 25 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "social"?
Closest matches include societal, affable, affair, affiliative, amiable.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "social"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.