social distance

noun

The distance between different social groups, e.g. in terms of class, ethnicity, gender-identity, sexual-identity, etc.

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Meanings

nounsocial distance (plural social distances)

plural social distances

  1. human sciencesThe distance between different social groups, e.g. in terms of class, ethnicity, gender-identity, sexual-identity, etc.
  2. An appropriate distance for interactions among acquaintances during epidemics.
verbsocial distance (third-person singular simple present social distances, present participle social distancing, simple past and past participle social distanced)

present singular third person social distances · participle present social distancing · participle past social distanced · past social distanced

  1. To maintain a certain distance between at least two people to contain the spread of an infectious disease.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 社會距離 /社会距离
  • 社會距離 /社会距离 (shèhuì jùlí)distance between social groups
Danish social afstand, social distance
  • social afstandappropriate distance for interactions among acquaintances during epidemics
  • social distanceappropriate distance for interactions among acquaintances during epidemics
Finnish sosiaalinen etäisyys
  • sosiaalinen etäisyysdistance between social groups
French espace vital
  • espace vitaldistance between social groups
German soziale Distanz
  • soziale Distanzdistance between social groups
Indonesian pembatasan sosial
  • pembatasan sosialdistance between social groups
Italian distanza sociale
  • distanza socialedistance between social groups
Malay penjarakan sosial
  • penjarakan sosialdistance between social groups
Persian فاصله اجتماعی
  • فاصله اجتماعیdistance between social groups
Polish dystans społeczny
  • dystans społecznydistance between social groups
Portuguese distância social
  • distância socialdistance between social groups
Spanish distancia social, distancia social/física
  • distancia socialdistance between social groups
  • distancia social/físicaappropriate distance for interactions among acquaintances during epidemics
  • distanciar socialmente/físicamenteto maintain a certain distance between at least two people to contain the spread of an infectious disease
Turkish sosyal mesafe
  • sosyal mesafeappropriate distance for interactions among acquaintances during epidemics
Ukrainian соціальна дистанція
  • соціальна дистанція (socialʹna dystancija)distance between social groups
Vietnamese khoảng cách xã hội, sự cách ly xã hội
  • khoảng cách xã hộidistance between social groups
  • sự cách ly xã hộidistance between social groups
  • khoảng cách xã hộiappropriate distance for interactions among acquaintances during epidemics
  • tạo khoảng cách xã hộito maintain a certain distance between at least two people to contain the spread of an infectious disease
  • cách ly xã hộito maintain a certain distance between at least two people to contain the spread of an infectious disease
Cite this entry
APA

social distance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/social%20distance

MLA

“social distance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/social%20distance. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “social distance,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/social%20distance.

Source: social distance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.