asocial

[ ey-soh-shuhl ]

adjective

1. not sociable or gregarious; withdrawn from society.
2. indifferent to or averse to conforming to conventional standards of behavior.
3. inconsiderate of others; selfish; egocentric.

asocial

/ eɪˈsəʊʃəl /

adjective

1. avoiding contact; not gregarious
2. unconcerned about the welfare of others
3. hostile to society or social practices

Word History and Origins

Origin of asocial¹

First recorded in 1880–85; a- ⁶ + social

Example Sentences

"They definitely seem to be attuned to the changing social dynamics in their environment, which is somewhat unexpected given that they were domesticated from asocial species. I would not feel comfortable speculating about love and grief at this point. I think it is safe to say that they can form attachments where they respond to the loss of an attachment figure."

From Salon

But it would be wrong to think that animals who typically are not asocial don't have that capacity.

From Salon

That was good, he believed, because the "asocial mindset" of trans people and their supposedly frequent "criminal activity … justifies draconian measures by the state."

From Salon

The Guardian summarizes this: "If you did a psychological profile of the corporation, what would it look like? Self-interested, manipulative, avowedly asocial, self-aggrandising, unable to accept responsibility for its own actions or feel remorse - as a person, the corporation would probably qualify as a full-blown psychopath."

From Salon

The court failed to consider the obvious truth that this concern over Roma criminality was itself a symptom of bigotry and instead claimed that “Gypsies,” because of their supposed “asocial behavior,” had instigated their own oppression.

From Slate

Related Words

• antisocial
• boorish
• impolite
• indiscreet
• insensitive
• reckless
• rude