Dictionary

socialize en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈsoʊʃəlaɪz/ (General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *sokʷéh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ṓy Proto-Indo-European *sokʷh₂ṓy Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Indo-European *sokʷyós Proto-Italic *sokjos Latin sokios Latin socius Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin sociālisbor. Middle French socialbor. English social Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English socialize From social + -ize.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To interact with others, especially personally, informally and off the clock rather than formally and officially.
   • hoping to socialize a bit at the company holiday party
   • Mr. Bach is an architect who, with his wife and professional partner, Anna Bach, regularly socializes with Ms. Aguirre and Mr. Ferrer. 2024 November 15, Julie Lasky, “A Glass Addition Maximizes Light and Minimizes Exposure”, in The New York Times:
   • When socializing it's important that you never talk business unless they bring it up. If you do, you'll find out quickly that you're no longer invited to any of the really good reindeer games. Rather, be a good listener. 2006, Christopher Duncan, “Managing Your Management”, in Dominic Shakeshaft, editor, The Career Programmer: Guerilla^([sic]) Tactics for an Imperfect World (The Expert’s Voice), 2nd edition, Berkeley, Calif.: Apress, →ISBN, part II (Guerilla Tactics for Front-line Programmers), page 171:
   • The UU is a great place to be on campus to socialize but when business needs to be taken care of the five story library is the place to be! 2011, Sarah Parr, Cal Poly 2012:
2. (transitive) To instruct (somebody), usually subconsciously and mostly by example, in the etiquette of a society.
   • That is, by way of this initial imprinting the young animal becomes a socialized member of its species. Animals misimprinted to other species show a variety of abnormal social behaviors as adults. 1977, Dorothy Rogers, Issues in child psychology, page 62:
   • depending on how children are socialized regarding racial and ethnic biases
3. (transitive) To take something into collective or governmental ownership.
   • fears about potential attempts to socialize medicine
   • Near-synonym: nationalize

Forms

Deriveds

resocialize · missocialize · socializer · socializee · socialization · desocialize · dissocialize · oversocialize · unsocialized · socializable

Synonyms

nationalize · hang out · acculturate

Translations (61)

sv umgås (to interact with others) · gl socializar (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · es socializar (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · cmn 與 /与 (to interact with others) · ru обща́ться (to interact with others) · ru води́ться (to interact with others) · az ictimailəşdirmək (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · ro naționaliza (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · fr voir des gens (to interact with others) · fi seurustella (to interact with others) · cmn 交際 /交际 (to interact with others) · es sociabilizarse (to interact with others) · mi whakahoahoa (to interact with others) · kk қоғамдастыру (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · gl socializar (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · ja 応対する (to interact with others) · gl socializar (to interact with others) · de vergesellschaften (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · bg общувам (to interact with others) · cmn 應酬 /应酬 (to interact with others) · ja 社交的にする (to interact with others) · pt socializar (to interact with others) · fr développer l'aspect social (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · pt socializar (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · es alternar (to interact with others) · fi sosialisoida (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · chr ᎨᎳᏗᏙᎭ (to interact with others) · cs stýkat se (to interact with others) · es codearse (to interact with others) · fi sopeuttaa yhteiskuntaan (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · ru подгота́вливать к жи́зни в о́бществе (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · sh socijalizírati (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · de vergemeinschaften (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · ro socializa (to interact with others) · es mezclarse (to interact with others) · pt socializar (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · fi sosiaalistaa (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · pl socjalizować (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · fr fréquenter des gens (to interact with others) · sh podruštveniti (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · az elləşdirmək (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · ru обобществля́ть (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · sv socialisera (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · de gesellig sein (to interact with others) · pt sociabilizar (to interact with others) · gl sociabilizar (to interact with others) · ja 付き合う (to interact with others) · mi takahoahoa (to interact with others) · ja 交際する (to interact with others) · tl saulnungin (to interact with others) · mi tautūtakitaki (to interact with others) · fr socialiser (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · mi taunekeneke (to interact with others) · es socializar (to interact with others) · es socializar (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · sh подруштвенити (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · cmn 交往 (to interact with others) · af sosialiseer (to interact with others) · de sozialisieren (to instruct, usually subconsciously, in the etiquette of a society) · sh социјализи́рати (to take into collective or governmental ownership) · es relacionarse (to interact with others)