Meaning & use
society
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
All the people who live together in a country or area and share laws, customs and institutions.
Grammar: Uncountable when general: a duty to society; countable for particular groups: modern societies.
Patterns
- a member of society
- in modern society
A fair society takes care of its weakest members.
Teachers have an important role in society.
Different societies have different customs for greeting guests.
nouncountable
A group of people who join together because they share an interest or a purpose.
Grammar: Used in names: the drama society, a historical society.
Patterns
- join a society
- a society for something
She joined the university debating society in her first week.
The local historical society keeps old photographs of the town.
He is a member of the Royal Society.
noununcountableold-fashioned
The wealthy and fashionable people in a place, thought of as a social class.
Grammar: Often seen in 'high society' or 'society wedding'.
Patterns
- high society
- a society wedding
The wedding was a major event in high society.
He moved in London society for many years.
Reporters covered the society party in detail.
noununcountableformal
The state of being in the company of other people.
Grammar: A formal or literary use: enjoy someone's society.
Patterns
- in someone's society
She enjoyed the society of her old friends.
He avoided society after the scandal.
The writer sought the society of artists and thinkers.
Word forms
| plural | societies |
|---|
Common combinations
- modern society
- Phones have changed modern society in many ways.
- contribute to society
- She wanted to contribute to society by working as a nurse.
- member of society
- Every member of society deserves respect.
- society at large
- The law protects society at large.
- high society
- They mingled with high society at the gala.
- join a society
- I joined the film society at college.
Synonyms and how they differ
- community
- Community usually means a smaller group sharing a place or interest, whereas society covers a whole nation or civilization.
- civilization
- Civilization refers to an advanced culture, often over a long period, while society is just people organized together.
- club
- Club is an informal word for a group with shared activities, but a society can be more formal or scholarly.
- public
- Public means people in general as an audience, while society suggests an organized structure.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: society or company? society or social?
society vs company
A company is a business or the presence of other people; society is the whole community or an organized club.
society vs social
Social is the adjective; society is the noun for the people themselves.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'society' to mean an organized club?
Choose one answer.
A chess society is a group of people brought together by a shared interest. The other sentences refer to people as a whole.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “society”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.