societal

American  

[suh-sahy-i-tl] / səˈsaɪ ɪ tl /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to large social groups, or to their activities, customs, etc.

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societal British  

/ səˈsaɪətəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to society, esp human society or social relations

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Other Word Forms

• antisocietal adjective
• antisocietally adverb
• intersocietal adjective
• nonsocietal adjective
• societally adverb

Etymology

Origin of societal

First recorded in 1895–1900; societ(y) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

His dramas set domestic conflicts against the backdrop of societal systems that insidiously warp the playing field for their characters.

From Los Angeles Times

"But it's not to precipitate a full-blown societal or humanitarian collapse."

From Barron's

“There’s obviously a whole range of things that AI can be applied to, and some are incredibly societally beneficial,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since the No Kings days began, observers have questioned whether mobilizing people to protest in the streets can lead to lasting, societal change.

From Salon

Forms of betting have existed for decades in places like Las Vegas and even longer in industries such as horse racing, without widespread societal harm.

From The Wall Street Journal