gregarious

[ gri-gair-ee-uhs ]

adjective

1. fond of the company of others; sociable.

   Synonyms: extrovert, friendly, companionable, convivial, outgoing, genial, social

2. living in flocks or herds, as animals.
3. Botany. growing in open clusters or colonies; not matted together.
4. pertaining to a flock or crowd.

gregarious

/ ɡrɪˈɡɛərɪəs /

adjective

1. enjoying the company of others
2. (of animals) living together in herds or flocks Compare solitary
3. (of plants) growing close together but not in dense clusters
4. of, relating to, or characteristic of crowds or communities

Derived Forms

• greˈgariousness, noun
• greˈgariously, adverb

Other Words From

• gre·gari·ous·ly adverb
• gre·gari·ous·ness noun
• nongre·gari·ous adjective
• nongre·gari·ous·ly adverb
• nongre·gari·ous·ness noun
• ungre·gari·ous adjective
• ungre·gari·ous·ly adverb
• ungre·gari·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of gregarious¹

First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin gregārius “belonging to a flock,” from greg- (stem of grex ) “crowd, flock, herd” + -ārius -ary ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of gregarious¹

C17: from Latin gregārius belonging to a flock, from grex flock

Example Sentences

Aside from the bartender, there was only one person actually braving the record-breaking 110-degree heat on the roof and watching UFC preliminaries on the wall-mounted TV: a gregarious, stocky, bespectacled older man named Mike.

From Slate

"He was not a gregarious, charity-giving clown - he was a dangerous sexual predator."

From BBC

Eva and Violeta may be grade-school age, still impressionable enough to look up to their gregarious, affectionate dad, but they can detect the faint cracks in his jovial surface.

From Los Angeles Times

But the women we have spoken to say his portrayal as pleasant and gregarious was far from the truth.

From BBC

He said he was a gregarious guy who loved to cook for friends and strangers and often baked chocolate chip cookies on Saturday nights.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• affable
• sociable