gregarious

adjective

gre·​gar·​i·​ous gri-ˈger-ē-əs How to pronounce gregarious (audio)
1
a
: tending to associate with others of one's kind : social
gregarious animals
b
: marked by or indicating a liking for companionship : sociable
is friendly, outgoing, and gregarious
c
: of or relating to a social group
2
a
of a plant : growing in a cluster or a colony
b
: living in contiguous nests but not forming a true colony
used especially of wasps and bees
gregariously adverb
gregariousness noun

Did you know?

When you're one of the herd, it's tough to avoid being social. The origin of gregarious is from  the Latin noun grex, meaning "herd" or "flock." When it first began appearing in English texts in the 17th century, gregarious was applied mainly to animals, but by the 18th century it was being used for social human beings as well.

Examples of gregarious in a Sentence

[J.P.] Morgan was attracted to bright, self-possessed women who met him on his own ground, felt at home in society, and shared his gregarious instincts and sybaritic tastes. Jean Strouse, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 1999
… the gregarious trade unionist whose back-slapping mateyness helped make him Australia's most popular politician. Time, 3 Apr. 1989
As it is a night of many parties, the more social, the more gregarious, the more invited of the guests are wondering whether to go to Harley Street first, or whether to arrive there later, after sampling other offerings. Margaret Drabble, Harper's, July 1987
She is outgoing and gregarious. a gregarious child who ran up to every person on the playground and wanted to be their friend
Recent Examples on the Web The Tara Davis-Woodhall who is undefeated in the women’s long jump this indoor season appears to be the same gregarious athlete who won a silver medal in last year’s world championships in Budapest, Hungary. John Ortega, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Turner, a native of Mt. Clemons, Michigan, was the heart and soul of Blackberry Smoke, a gregarious presence with a long beard, wild hair, and boisterous laugh. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 Due to their gregarious tendency, scaup are typically gunned over spreads of 50 to 200 or more decoys. M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 8 Feb. 2024 Government officials swiftly called for a ban, eliciting alarm among gun store owners like Mr. Cargill, 54, a gregarious Army veteran who said that the mugging and assault of his grandmother had shaped his views on gun control. Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 But the gregarious Ohanian had been the public face of Reddit during its formative years and to early users was a kind of spiritual leader who shaped the community’s culture while Huffman worked on the code. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024 Career superstars are socially gregarious and have warm, outgoing relationships with coworkers and lend a helping hand to support colleagues who need it. Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 Walking the kennels with Blackwell feels like arriving at a surprise party with an exceptionally gregarious guest of honor. Michelle Madden, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 The only classmate that doesn't fit this bill is Owen, a gregarious, empathetic and wealthy middle-schooler who becomes Emily's best friend. Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 4 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gregarious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin gregarius of a flock or herd, from greg-, grex flock, herd

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gregarious was in 1668

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Dictionary Entries Near gregarious

Cite this Entry

“Gregarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gregarious. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gregarious

adjective
gre·​gar·​i·​ous gri-ˈgar-ē-əs How to pronounce gregarious (audio)
-ˈger-
1
: tending to associate with others of one's kind : social
also : tending to live in a flock, herd, or community rather than alone
gregarious birds
2
: marked by a liking for companionship : sociable
gregariously adverb
gregariousness noun
Etymology

from Latin gregarius "relating to a herd or flock," from greg-, grex "flock, herd" — related to congregate

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