society
gb/səsˈaɪəti/ us/səsˈaɪəti/
A2
English
~ 400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
organized community of people
People living together with rules and customs.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] in [a/an] society
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'society' with 'community'. 'Society' is broader and can refer to an entire country or civilization, while 'community' is smaller and more local.
Synonyms
community (Refers to a smaller or more local group of people, often with closer relationships.)
|
civilization (Implies an advanced and complex form of society.)
Antonyms
isolation (Refers to being separate from others and not part of a social group.)
Collocations
modern society
|in society
|society as a whole
|members of society
|society changes
Themes
culture
|politics
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Modern society relies heavily on technology.
- Education plays a key role in shaping society.
- She studies how society responds to economic change.
- Crime affects every part of society.
- The novel explores the structure of society.
Learner examples
- We live in a modern society.
- Society needs good laws.
- In our society, education is important.
- Technology changes our society.
- Society has many rules.
Noun
A2
entity
2
organization or club
A group of people who meet for the same interest or activity.
Usage pattern:
[someone] joins [a/an] society
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with the broader sense of 'society' as all people; here it refers to a specific group with a shared purpose.
Synonyms
association (A general term for an organized group, often formal.)
|
club (Often more informal than 'society', focused on leisure activities.)
Antonyms
individual (Refers to a single person, not part of an organized group.)
Collocations
literary society
|historical society
|join a society
|society meeting
Themes
hobbies
|education
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She joined the university's drama society.
- The historical society preserves old buildings in the town.
- They are members of the local chess society.
- The society meets every Thursday evening.
- He was elected president of the photography society.
Learner examples
- I joined the music society.
- Our school has a science society.
- The art society meets once a week.
- She started a reading society.
- We have a cooking society in our city.
Noun
formal
B2
entity
3
wealthy social class
Rich and important people in social life.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'society' here with the general population; in this sense it means an exclusive social class.
Synonyms
elite (Emphasizes power and influence as well as wealth.)
|
upper class (Focuses more on social and economic status than style or fashion.)
Antonyms
working class (Refers to people who do manual work and have less wealth or social status.)
Collocations
high society
|society event
|society wedding
Themes
culture
|lifestyle
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The charity ball was attended by members of high society.
- She married into New York society.
- His novels depict the manners of Parisian society.
- The magazine covers the latest gossip from London society.
Learner examples
- She is part of high society.
- They went to a big society party.
- He married into high society.
- The event was full of society people.
Grammar
Dictionary form
society
IPA
GB/səsˈaɪəti/
US/səsˈaɪəti/
Syllables & stress
so - ci - ety (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ci)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: society
- Plural: societies, society
Word family
Expressions
high society
1/hˈaɪ səsˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
wealthy fashionable social class
Rich and fashionable people as a group.
Examples
- She enjoys attending events with high society.
- The film offers a glimpse into high society.
secret society
1/sˈikɹɪt səsˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
hidden organization or club
A group that hides its activities and members from others.
Examples
- He was rumored to be part of a secret society.
- Secret societies have existed throughout history.
polite society
2/pəlˈaɪt səsˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
formal
social norms among well-mannered people
The way well-mannered people are expected to behave in public.
Examples
- In polite society, it's rude to talk with your mouth full.
- Such language is not used in polite society.
polite society
3/pəlˈaɪt səsˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
Refined social circles
A group of people who follow formal and refined rules of behavior.
Examples
- In polite society, it’s considered rude to talk about money.
- She was introduced to the customs of polite society after marrying into a wealthy family.