so·cia·bil·i·ty

(sō′shə-bĭl′ĭ-tē)

n. pl. so·cia·bil·i·ties

1. The disposition or quality of being sociable.

2. An instance of being sociable.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

so•cia•bil•i•ty

(ˌsɒ ʃəˈbɪl ɪ ti)

n., pl. -ties.

1. the act or an instance of being sociable.

2. the quality or state of being sociable.

[1425–75]

Sociability/Unsociability

See Also: BEHAVIOR

Antisocial as death —Mary McCarthy
(About as) chummy as a pair of panthers —James Forbes
Flung himself upon Arthur like a young bear —Christopher Isherwood
Friendly as a letter from home —Slogan, wine advisory board
(He insisted on being) friendly, like a man running for sheriff —Jay Parini
Greeted me like the morning sun that had deserted the skies —Mike Fredman
The greeting I received (from Phoebe) was as damp as the weather outside —Mike Fredman
He was never alone. He wore other people like armour —William McIlvanney
(The knocking was) hostile as a kick in the balls —Harold Adams
Similes can provide attention-getting openings for a story, as this one did for Adams’ mystery novel, The Fourth Widow.
Pleasant as a smile —Anon
Snarled like a racoon (whenever she was pushed) —Miles Gibson
Unresponsive as a bag of wet laundry —David Leavitt
Affable as a wet dog —Alfred Henry Lewis

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

sociability - the relative tendency or disposition to be sociable or associate with one's fellows

sociableness

personableness - the complex of attributes that make a person socially attractive

extraversion, extroversion - (psychology) an extroverted disposition; concern with what is outside the self

ambiversion - (psychology) a balanced disposition intermediate between extroversion and introversion

sociality - the tendency to associate with others and to form social groups; "mammals as a class are not strong on sociality"

conviviality, joviality - a jovial nature

companionability, companionableness - suitability to be a companion

camaraderie, chumminess, comradeliness, comradery, comradeship - the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability

gregariousness - the quality of being gregarious--having a dislike of being alone

openness, nakedness - characterized by an attitude of ready accessibility (especially about one's actions or purposes); without concealment; not secretive

unsociability, unsociableness - an unsociable disposition; avoiding friendship or companionship

sociability

noun friendliness, conviviality, cordiality, congeniality, neighbourliness, affability, gregariousness, companionability Enthusiasm, adaptability, sociability, and good health are essential.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

sociability

noun

The quality of being pleasant and friendly:

affability, agreeability, agreeableness, amenity, amiability, amiableness, congeniality, congenialness, cordiality, cordialness, friendliness, geniality, genialness, pleasantness, sociableness, warmth.

Translations

sociabilité

barátkozó természettársas hajlamtársaságkedvelés

socievolezza

коммуникабельность

sociability

[ˌsəʊʃəˈbɪlɪtɪ] N → sociabilidad f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

sociability

[ˌsəʊʃəˈbɪləti] n → sociabilité f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

sociability

n → Geselligkeit f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

sociability

[ˌsəʊʃəˈbɪlɪtɪ] n (of person) → socievolezza

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

And how completely your aunt must have lost every tradition of sociability, to see anything out of the way in the idea that respectable intelligent people, living as we do under the same roof, should occasionally exchange a remark!

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"They're here, they're here, you little wretches," I would have cried, "and you can't deny it now!" The little wretches denied it with all the added volume of their sociability and their tenderness, in just the crystal depths of which-- like the flash of a fish in a stream--the mockery of their advantage peeped up.

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The page said, further, that dinner was about ended in the great hall by this time, and that as soon as the sociability and the heavy drinking should begin, Sir Kay would have me in and exhibit me before King Arthur and his illustrious knights seated at the Table Round, and would brag about his exploit in capturing me, and would probably exaggerate the facts a little, but it wouldn't be good form for me to correct him, and not over safe, either; and when I was done being exhibited, then ho for the dungeon; but he, Clarence, would find a way to come and see me every now and then, and cheer me up, and help me get word to my friends.

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A shy man means a lonely man--a man cut off from all companionship, all sociability. He moves about the world, but does not mix with it.

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He had his choice, based on bitter experience, between three days' debauch among the sharks and harpies of the Barbary Coast and a whole winter of wholesome enjoyment and sociability, and there wasn't any doubt of the way he was going to choose.

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His sociability was stronger than his acquisitive instinct.

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He had his clerks, canoe men, and retainers of all kinds, who lived with him on terms of perfect sociability, always calling him by his Christian name; he had his harem of Indian beauties, and his troop of halfbreed children; nor was there ever wanting a louting train of Indians, hanging about the establishment, eating and drinking at his expense in the intervals of their hunting expeditions.

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Possibly Beaufort, who was her match in daring, would have succeeded in bringing about a fusion; but his grand house and silk-stockinged footmen were an obstacle to informal sociability. Moreover, he was as illiterate as old Mrs.

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Who has not felt the charm of her frank, easily flowing talk, her inexhaustible spirits, her good-humored, gracious sociability of manner?

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There was in him a slumbering spark of sociability which the long Starkfield winters had not yet extinguished.

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This sociability seemed a necessary part of professional prudence, and the entertainment must be suitable.

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In consequence of which we have at once, Sociability (I should go melancholy mad without Mrs Boffin), Fashion, and Comfort.

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