Meaning & use
social gatherings
Last updated
Meaning
nounusually plural
Occasions when people meet in a relaxed way to talk, eat or enjoy each other's company, such as parties or family get-togethers.
Grammar: Normally plural when speaking in general: social gatherings are limited, but a social gathering was held.
Patterns
- attend social gatherings
- host a social gathering
- avoid social gatherings
Large social gatherings were banned during the outbreak.
She dislikes noisy social gatherings and prefers a quiet dinner with a friend.
The village hall is used for weddings and other social gatherings.
Word forms
| singular | social gathering |
|---|
Common combinations
- attend social gatherings
- He rarely attends social gatherings after work.
- host a social gathering
- We plan to host a small social gathering for the neighbors.
- large social gatherings
- Large social gatherings were discouraged during the winter.
- family social gatherings
- Family social gatherings often revolve around a big meal.
- limit social gatherings
- The school asked parents to limit social gatherings that week.
- avoid social gatherings
- Feeling unwell, she chose to avoid social gatherings.
Synonyms and how they differ
- get-togethers
- Get-togethers is more casual and suggests friends or family, while social gatherings can sound more neutral or official.
- parties
- Parties implies celebration, music or food, whereas social gatherings can be quiet and unplanned.
- functions
- Functions suggests a formal or organized event, such as one run by a company, which social gatherings need not be.
- events
- Events is broader and includes public or professional occasions that are not mainly about socializing.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: social gatherings or social media?
social gatherings vs social media
Social media means online platforms for sharing content; social gatherings are real-life meetings of people.
Practice
The company holds several ___ each year, including a summer picnic and a holiday dinner.
Choose one answer.
Social gatherings is the natural plural noun phrase for events where colleagues meet and relax; the other options are not standard English combinations.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “social gatherings”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.