society

== English == === Alternative forms === soc. (abbreviation) === Etymology === Borrowed from Middle French societé, from Old French societé, from Latin societās, societātem (“fellowship, association, alliance, union, community”), from socius (“associated, allied; partner, companion, ally”), from Proto-Indo-European *sokʷ-yo- (“companion”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”). First attested in the 1530s. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /səˈsaɪ.ə.ti/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /səˈsaɪ.ə.ti/, [səˈsaɪ.ə.ɾi] (General Australian) IPA(key): /səˈsɑe.ə.ti/, [səˈsɑe̯.ə.ɾi] (New Zealand) IPA(key): /səˈsaɪ.ə.ti/, [səˈsɑe̯.ə.ɾi] (North India) IPA(key): /soːˈsɑːj(ə).ʈiː/ (South India) IPA(key): /soˈsəj(ə).ʈiː/ === Noun === society (countable and uncountable, plural societies) (countable) A long-standing group of people sharing cultural aspects such as language, dress, norms of behavior and artistic forms. (countable) A group of people who meet from time to time to engage in a common interest; an association or organization. (countable) The sum total of all voluntary interrelations between individuals. (uncountable) Companionship or association with one's fellows; friendly or intimate intercourse. (uncountable) The people of one’s country or community taken as a whole. (uncountable) High society. (countable, law) A number of people joined by mutual consent to deliberate, determine and act toward a common goal. ==== Hyponyms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Portuguese: soçaite ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === Raymond Williams (1983), “Society”, in Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society, revised American edition, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, published 1985, →ISBN, page 291.