sociality

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Association with others

Nouns

1. sociality, sociability, sociableness, friendship, bonhomie; social intercourse, community; fellowship, fraternity, companionship, camaraderie; familiarity, intimacy; association, brotherhood; communion; gregariousness. See conversation, amusement.

2. (social pleasure) conviviality, good fellowship, joviality, jollity, savoir vivre, festive board.

3. (courteous reception) hospitality, cheer; welcome, greeting; hearty or warm welcome or reception; urbanity (see courtesy).

4. (social gathering) social circle, sewing circle, family circle; coterie, society; club; social [gathering], box social, assembly (see assemblage); party, affair, function, get-together, entertainment, reception, salon, levee, at home, conversazione, soirée; garden party; housewarming; houseparty, reunion; [high or afternoon] tea, tea party, thé dansant, coffee or happy hour, coffee klatsch; banquet, luau, clambake, dance; cocktail party; debut, visit[ing]; call; powwow, potlatch, corroboree, extravaganza, bonfire, roast; video visit; affair; appointment, tryst, date. Informal, get-together, hen party, stag party, coming-out party, mixer, be-in, shindig, shindy. Slang, boink, face-time.

5. social person, good company, companion, crony, bon vivant; host, maven. Informal, joiner; good mixer, back-slapper, hand-shaker, hail-fellow-well-met. Slang, good egg or scout.

Verbs

1. be sociable, know; be acquainted, associate with, keep company with, club together, consort, bear one company, join; make acquaintance with; make advances, fraternize, socialize, tie up with, take up with, rub shoulders or elbows, hobnob, mix with, mingle with; embrace; be, feel, or make oneself at home with; date, double-date; make free with; be hospitable; roll out the red carpet; shake hands. Informal, throw a party; fix someone up with. Slang, give one some skin, press the flesh.

2. visit, pay a visit; call [up]on, drop in, look in on; look one up; entertain, give a party, hold court, be at home, keep open house, do the honors, receive with open arms, welcome, bid one welcome, give a warm reception to; kill the fatted calf; see one's friends, drop by or around, stop by.

Adjectives — sociable, companionable, friendly; conversable, cozy, chatty, conversational; social, neighborly, gregarious, affable; convivial, festive, festal; jovial, jolly, hospitable; welcome; free and easy. Informal, clubby, chummy.

Adverbs — socially, companionably, intimately, etc.

Phrases — the company makes the feast; food without hospitality is medicine; there isn't much to talk about at some parties until one or two couples leave.

Quotations — At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely (W. Somerset Maugham), Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast (Shakespeare), One cannot have too large a party (Jane Austen), I hate cocktail parties. They're for people who're not good enough to invite for dinner — then they stay to dinner (Elsa Maxwell).

Antonyms, see seclusion.