social distancing

US/ˈsoʊʃəl ˌdɪstən(t)sɪŋ/UK/ˈsəʊʃəl ˌdɪstən(t)sɪŋ/

noun

The practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases by isolating those with such diseases in quarantines, maintaining space between individuals, and prohibiting certain activities.

Meanings

nounsocial distancing (uncountable)

alternative social-distancing

  1. uncountableepidemiologyThe practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases by isolating those with such diseases in quarantines, maintaining space between individuals, and prohibiting certain activities.

    All I spot are lots of anglers on the canal at Wigan, indulging in a sport where social distancing is de rigueur!

    2020 November 4, Paul Bigland, “At no point have I felt unsafe...”, in Rail, page 47
    5 more examples

    The Governor of an affected State implements isolation and/or social-distancing requirements using State/local legal authorities.

    2004, United States Department of Homeland Security, “Biological Incident Annex”, in National Response Plan, page 7

    Nonpharmaceutical interventions outside of healthcare settings focus on measures to 1) limit international spread of the virus (e.g., travel screening and restrictions); 2) reduce spread within national and local populations (e.g., isolation and treatment of ill persons; monitoring and possible quarantine of exposed persons; and social distancing measures, such as cancellation of mass gatherings and closure of schools); 3) reduce an individual person’s risk for infection (e.g., hand hygiene); and 4) communicate risk to the public.

    2006, World Health Organization Writing Group, “Nonpharmaceutical Interventions for Pandemic Influenza, International Measures”, in Emerging Infectious Diseases, volume 12, number 1, →DOI, page 81

    Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg, president of the Institute of Medicine, the medical arm of the National Academy of Sciences, was more pessimistic. “We’re completely unprepared,” Dr. Fineberg said, adding that if an epidemic struck in the next year, the quarantine-based strategy called social distancing “is likely to be all we’re going to have as a strategy.”

    2006 February 6, Donald McNeil Jr., “States and Cities Lag in Bird Flu Readiness”, in The New York Times

    A spokesman confirmed that work would continue on projects such as the construction of a grade-separated junction at Werrington [...] where compliance with government advice and "social distancing can be guaranteed".

    2020 April 8, “Network News: Crossrail heads the construction projects placed on hold”, in Rail, page 12

    A huge crowd—visibly not observing social distancing—turned up Friday at the birthday community pantry organized by actress Angel Locsin in Quezon City.

    2021, Neil Arwin Mercado, “Death, huge crowd shut down Angel Locsin’s birthday community pantry”, in Philippine Daily Inquirer

    Synonyms: physical distancing

verb

alternative social-distancing

  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of social distance

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases by isolating those with such diseases in quarantines, maintaining space between individuals, and prohibiting certain activities.

More synonyms by meaning

nounKeeping a safe space between yourself and other people, and avoiding crowds, in order to slow the spread of infectious diseases. Large-scale measures include canceling group events or closing schools, workplaces and public spaces.

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Afrikaans sosiale distansiëring
  • sosiale distansiëringpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Basque urruntze sozial
  • urruntze sozialpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Bengali শারীরিক দূরত্ব
  • শারীরিক দূরত্ব (śaririk durotto)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Bulgarian обществена дистанция, социална дистанция
  • обществена дистанция (obštestvena distancija)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • социална дистанция (socialna distancija)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Catalan distanciament social, distanciació social
  • distanciament socialpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • distanciació socialpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Chinese Cantonese 保持社交距離 /保持社交距离
  • 保持社交距離 /保持社交距离 (bou² ci⁴ se⁵ gaau¹ keoi⁵ lei⁴)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Chinese Mandarin 保持社交距離 /保持社交距离
  • 保持社交距離 /保持社交距离 (bǎochí shèjiāo jùlí)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Czech sociální distancování
  • sociální distancovánípractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Danish social distancering, fysisk distancering
  • social distanceringpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • fysisk distanceringpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • fysisk afstandpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Dutch sociale onthouding
  • sociale onthoudingpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Estonian sotsiaalne distantseerumine
  • sotsiaalne distantseeruminepractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Finnish sosiaalinen etäännyttäminen
  • sosiaalinen etäännyttäminenpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
French distanciation sociale, éloignement social
  • distanciation socialepractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • éloignement socialpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • distanciation physiquepractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • éloignement physiquepractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
German soziale Distanzierung, Social Distancing
  • soziale Distanzierungpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • Social Distancingpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • räumliche Distanzierungpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • räumliche Trennungpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Greek κοινωνική απομάκρυνση
  • κοινωνική απομάκρυνση (koinonikí apomákrynsi)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Hebrew ריחוק חברתי
  • ריחוק חברתי (rikhúk khevratí)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Hindi शारीरिक दूरी
  • शारीरिक दूरी (śārīrik dūrī)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Hungarian közösségi távolságtartás, társasági távolságtartás
  • közösségi távolságtartáspractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • társasági távolságtartáspractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • társas távolságtartáspractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • szociális távolságtartáspractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Icelandic samskiptafjarlægð
  • samskiptafjarlægðpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Indonesian jaga jarak sosial
  • jaga jarak sosialpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Irish scaradh sóisialta
  • scaradh sóisialtapractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Italian distanziamento sociale
  • distanziamento socialepractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Japanese ソーシャルディスタンス, 社会距離拡大戦略
  • ソーシャルディスタンス (sōsharudisutansu)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • 社会距離拡大戦略 (shakaikyorikakudaisenryaku)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Korean 사회적(社會的) 거리(距離)두기
  • 사회적(社會的) 거리(距離)두기 (sahoejeok georidugi)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Malay penjarakan sosial, penjarakan fizikal
  • penjarakan sosialpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • penjarakan fizikalpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Norwegian Bokmål sosial distansering, fysisk distansering
  • sosial distanseringpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • fysisk distanseringpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • fysisk avstandpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Persian فاصلهگذاری اجتماعی
  • فاصلهگذاری اجتماعی (fâsele-gozâri-ye ejtemâ'i)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Polish dystansowanie społeczne
  • dystansowanie społecznepractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Portuguese distanciamento social
  • distanciamento socialpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Punjabi ਸਰੀਰਕ ਦੂਰੀ
  • ਸਰੀਰਕ ਦੂਰੀ (sarīrak dūrī)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Romanian distanțare socială
  • distanțare socialăpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Russian социа́льное дистанци́рование
  • социа́льное дистанци́рование (sociálʹnoje distancírovanije)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Scottish Gaelic astrachadh sòisealta
  • astrachadh sòisealtapractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Spanish distanciamiento social, distanciamiento físico
  • distanciamiento socialpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • distanciamiento físicopractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Swedish social distansering, fysisk distansering
  • social distanseringpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • fysisk distanseringpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Tamil சமூக இடைவெளி
  • சமூக இடைவெளி (camūka iṭaiveḷi)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Thai การเว้นระยะห่างทางสังคม
  • การเว้นระยะห่างทางสังคมpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Turkish sosyal mesafe
  • sosyal mesafepractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Vietnamese sự cách ly xã hội, khoảng cách xã hội
  • sự cách ly xã hộipractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • khoảng cách xã hộipractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • sự giãn cách xã hộipractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • sự cách ly vật lýpractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
  • khoảng cách xã giaopractice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Yiddish סאָציאַלע דיסטאַנצירונג
  • סאָציאַלע דיסטאַנצירונג (sotsyale distantsirung)practice of maintaining physical distance between people to reduce the spread of communicable diseases
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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