Definition

Noun: 1. A gathering or occasion involving people interacting in a group: A planned or organized occurrence where individuals come together, typically for a specific purpose involving social interaction, celebration, or communal activity.

Usage

This noun refers to any organized occasion where the primary focus is on people assembling and engaging with one another. It emphasizes the group and interactive nature of the event.

Examples

• The company picnic is the major social event of the summer.
• Weddings, parties, and conferences are all types of social events.
• Attending formal social events requires appropriate attire.
• The charity gala was a well-attended social event.

Advanced Usage

• In sociological contexts: The term can be analyzed as a unit of social structure where norms, roles, and group dynamics are observed and enacted.
  • Anthropologists study rituals as key social events that reinforce community bonds.

Variants and Related Words

• Social gathering (n): A more general term for an informal meeting of people.
• Function (n): Often used interchangeably with 'social event', sometimes implying a more formal or official purpose.
• Affair (n): Can denote a social event, often one of some importance or scale (e.g., a grand affair).

Different Meanings / Nuances

The core meaning remains consistent. The specific nature of a "social event" is defined by its context: * A family reunion is a private social event. * A film premiere is a public social event. * A networking mixer is a professional social event.

Synonyms

• Gathering
• Function
• Get-together
• Occasion

Antonyms

• Solitary activity
• Private moment
• Isolation

Related Phrases / Idioms

• On the social calendar: Refers to a planned social event.
  • The mayor's ball is the highlight on the city's social calendar.
• Social whirl: A continuous series of busy social events.
  • During the holiday season, she was caught up in a social whirl.

Noun

1. an event characteristic of persons forming groups