The Meaning of Gregarious: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of gregarious? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word gregarious, including its definition, usage, word origin, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word gregarious mean?

According to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language and others like American Heritage and Collins English Dictionary, the word gregarious is an adjective that means social or tending to associate with others of one’s kind. This is often marked by a liking for companionship, or relating to a social group. This can also be used to describe flora or other plant life that grow in a cluster or colony, or wasps and bees that live in contiguous nests but do not form a true colony. Certain animals may have gregarious instincts and end up seeking out a herd or flock, like certain gregarious bird species or other gregarious animals. Other animals prefer solitude and do not like dense clusters of others around them. A gregarious person will also seek the company of others. The pronunciation of gregarious is gri-ˈger-ē-əs. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today. 

Different languages also use words that mean gregarious. You may notice that some of these words look and sound similar to the word gregarious. These are called cognates. Cognates are words and phrases that look and sound similar across languages while also having a similar meaning. These are usually formed when two words have the same origin or root. This list of translations for the word gregarious is provided by Word Sense

  •  Finnish: seurallinen‎
  •  Roman: društven‎
  •  German: gesellig‎
  •  Bulgarian: общителен‎
  •  Scottish Gaelic: greigheach‎
  •  Korean: 사교적‎
  •  Catalan: gregari‎
  •  Swedish: sällskaplig‎
  •  Turkish: sosyal‎
  •  Czech: družný‎, společenský‎
  •  Japanese: 社交的‎
  •  Dutch: gezellig‎, sociaal‎, gregarieus‎, uitgaand‎
  •  Cyrillic: друштвен‎
  •  Mandarin: 社交‎
  •  Indonesian: suka bergaul‎
  •  Hungarian: társaságot kedvelő‎
  •  Romanian: sociabil‎
  •  Greek: κοινωνικός‎
  •  Russian: общи́тельный‎ (masc.), коммуника́бельный‎ (masc.), конта́ктный‎ (masc.)
  •  French: sociable‎
  •  Portuguese: gregário‎
  •  Italian: gregario‎
  •  Spanish: gregario‎, sociable‎

What is the origin of the word gregarious?

According to Etymonline, the word gregarious (adj.) has been used since the 1660s to describe animals that were disposed to live in flocks. This comes from the Latin gregarius or Latin ​​gregārius meaning pertaining to a flock or gerd, from grex, the genitive gregis meaning flock or gerd. This comes from the Proto-Indo-European roots gre-g and ger. This was first used of persons in 1789. One can add different suffixes to gregorius to create other related words, such as ly to make gregariously (adv.) and ness to make gregariousness (n.)

How can the word gregarious be used in a sentence?

The word gregarious can be used in many different sentences in the English language. Using a word in a sentence is a great way to remember its definition. Below are many examples of gregarious. 

The imaginative kindergartner with a cascade of wild red hair was one of the most gregarious the teacher had ever seen. She was always the first to go up to a shy young girl and try to make a friend. 

The street-smart woman knew that being gregarious in London was the only way to get what she wanted. She had an amazing social life and never spent a dime. 

Nick was a gregarious chap, and well-known on the campus at Princeton University. He had many young friends and was always throwing parties. Thankfully. He was studying the hospitality industry!

Many different large birds are quite gregarious and have their own family groups or large flocks. These can include American white pelicans, gray jays, broadbills, or many other types of small feeding flocks. 

It is thought that many different raptor species and other types of living organism during the time of dinosaurs lived in dense colonies and were quite gregarious. We might even see some of this remain today in grasshoppers and locusts. 

Common hippos tend to live in loose colonies and are fairly gregarious as far as each different hippo breed is concerned. However, like many different animals, some have different behavioral states and prefer to be alone. 

Beatrice was a gregarious host and loved to be the life of the party. She threw galas nearly every weekend, and loved the characteristic of crowds. People came from all over the county to attend her magnificent parties. 

What are synonyms and antonyms for the word gregarious?

There are many different words that a person can use in place of the word gregarious. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your English language vocabulary and avoid repeating yourself in written and spoken English. This list of synonyms for the word gregarious is provided by Thesaurus

  •  thick
  •  tender
  •  kind
  •  sociable
  •  social
  •  attached
  •  convivial
  •  good
  •  benign
  •  peaceable
  •  amiable
  •  propitious
  •  amicable
  •  favorable
  •  civil
  •  clubby
  •  cordial
  •  attentive
  •  outgoing
  •  close
  •  buddy-buddy
  •  solicitous
  •  sympathetic
  •  conciliatory
  •  companionable
  •  affectionate
  •  receptive
  •  faithful
  •  auspicious
  •  genial
  •  comradely
  •  loving
  •  affable
  •  loyal
  •  neighborly
  •  peaceful
  •  friendly
  •  beneficial
  •  on good terms
  •  helpful
  •  fond
  •  benevolent
  •  familiar
  •  confiding
  •  fun
  •  welcoming
  •  chummy
  •  kindly
  •  well-disposed

There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word gregarious. These are called antonyms. Learning antonyms, or opposite words, is another quick and easy way to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word gregarious is provided by Thesaurus as well. 

  •  contentious
  •  ill-natured
  •  contrary
  •  disobliging
  •  uptight
  •  ungracious
  •  pettish
  •  nasty
  •  waspish
  •  churlish
  •  querulous
  •  snappy
  •  ugly
  •  grouchy
  •  rude
  •  offensive
  •  cantankerous
  •  out of sorts
  •  brusque
  •  eristic
  •  disagreeable
  •  disputatious
  •  obnoxious
  •  unpleasant
  •  difficult
  •  unlikable
  •  bellicose
  •  cross
  •  peevish
  •  surly
  •  unfriendly
  •  whiny
  •  petulant

Overall, the word gregarious means

Sources: 

  1. gregarious | Origin and meaning of gregarious | Online Etymology Dictionary 
  2. Gregarious | Meaning, Translation | Word Sense
  3. GREGARIOUS Synonyms: 15 Synonyms & Antonyms for GREGARIOUS | Thesaurus 
  4. DISAGREEABLE Synonyms: 79 Synonyms & Antonyms for DISAGREEABLE | Thesaurus 
  5. Gregarious | Definition of Gregarious | Merriam-Webster