social vs societal :

social or societal

“Societal” as an adjective has been in existence for a couple of centuries, but has become widely used only in the recent past. People who imagine that “social” has too many frivolous connotations of mere partying often resort to it to make their language more serious and impressive. It is best used by social scientists and others in referring to the influence of societies: “societal patterns among the Ibo of eastern Nigeria.” Used in place of “social” in ordinary speech and writing it sounds pretentious.

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Definitions
  social
  • n  a party of people assembled to promote sociability and communal activity
  • a  relating to human society and its members
    social institutions
    social legislation
  • a  living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups
    a human being is a social animal
    mature social behavior
  • a  relating to or belonging to or characteristic of high society
    made fun of her being so social and high-toned
    a social gossip colum
  • s  composed of sociable people or formed for the purpose of sociability
    a purely social club
    the church has a large social hall
    a social director
  • s  tending to move or live together in groups or colonies of the same kind
    ants are social insects
  • s  marked by friendly companionship with others
    a social cup of coffee
  societal
  • a  relating to human society and its members
    societal evolution
    societal forces
News & Articles
  social
  • Social Media Agency, fishbat, Analyzes the Influence of Mascots on Social Networking Sites
    In response to an article published on USA Today, social media agency fishbat discusses the effectiveness of using mascots to create social media buzz around a brand. (PRWeb June 17, 2013) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/socialmedia/agency/prweb10832599.htm
    June 17, 2013 - PRWeb
  • Social Media Marketing Coach Discusses Web Design and SEO Business Profitability
    Social Media Marketing Coach discusses ways to help new business owners use different strategies to optimize their web design and SEO strategies. (PRWeb June 16, 2013) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/6/prweb10834927.htm
    June 16, 2013 - PRWeb
  • Why Social Media Isn’t Working for Your Business (and How to Fix It)
    Social media has increased the expectation among consumers that your real estate business will have a credible online presence. Consumers actively using the Internet for their real estate search are making assumptions with the click of a mouse. Those conclusions are based on first impressions made through your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Pinterest pages. Visitors [...]
    June 16, 2013 - RISMedia Real Estate News
  societal
  • Online Dating: Pastor Gives 2 Theories Why Stigma Still Exist
    Five years ago, online dating was still considered taboo, but now online dating has become a societal norm and the Christian community is no exception. Christian singles are flocking to Christian dating sites such as ChristianMingle®.com (which just hit its 10 millionth member mark), to find a potential soul mate who shares the same faith and values. While it's rare nowadays to find a single ...
    June 13, 2013 - The Christian Post
  • Americans' Confidence in Congress Falls to Lowest on Record
    Americans' confidence in Congress as an institution is down to 10%, ranking it last on a list of 16 societal institutions for the fourth straight year. The military maintains its top spot, with 76% expressing confidence in it.
    June 13, 2013 - Gallup
  • The Human Rights Watch Film Festival
    The Human Rights Watch Film Festival presents a slate of films that explore conflict and societal change.
    June 12, 2013 - New York Times