social distancing

[ soh-shuhl dis-tuhn-sing ]

noun

1. the practice of maintaining a safe or appropriate physical distance from other people, or the measures taken to reduce close physical contact, especially to slow the spread of a contagious illness or disease:

   Health officials are recommending some kinds of social distancing, such as working from home and avoiding handshakes.

Other Words From

• so·cial dis·tance so·cial-dis·tance verb (used with or without object) social distanced or socialdistanced social distancing or socialdistancing

Word History and Origins

Origin of social distancing¹

First recorded in 2000–05

Example Sentences

Fauci’s presumed crime was advocating social distancing and mask policies in the heat of the pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times

But the good news is that the number of people getting the virus in the United States is going way down, thanks to testing, vaccines, and other preventative measures, like wearing masks and social distancing.

From National Geographic Kids

While it seems unlikely that will happen this time—vote counters aren’t social distancing, and states have had time to adjust to the rise in voting by mail—a lot has also changed since 2016, too.

From Slate

He suggested injecting bleach to fight COVID, recommended people take the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which had not shown to be safe, and encouraged people to protest social distancing restrictions.

From Salon

“During COVID, I was showering in the creek,” she said, because social distancing requirements made invitations to use indoor bathrooms hard to come by.

From Los Angeles Times