gregarious

/ɡrɪˈɡeəriəs/ · gri-GAIR-ee-usadjective

Sociable and inclined to seek or enjoy the company of others.

Use gregarious to express this relationship precisely: sociable and inclined to seek or enjoy the company of others.

What gregarious Really Means

The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.

1

Core quality

Sociable and inclined to seek or enjoy the company of others.

Example

Her gregarious personality helped participants feel at ease.

2

Attributive or predicative use

Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.

Example

The gregarious researcher formed collaborations across several disciplines.

3

Analytical distinction

Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.

Example

Although quiet in lectures, he was a gregarious host.

Use gregarious Naturally

Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.

Her gregarious personality helped participants feel at ease.

The gregarious researcher formed collaborations across several disciplines.

Although quiet in lectures, he was a gregarious host.

Precision Matters

Gregarious overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.

gregarious

Means sociable and inclined to seek or enjoy the company of others.

vs.
collaboration

Means the act of working jointly with other people or groups.

gregarious

Means sociable and inclined to seek or enjoy the company of others.

vs.
affinity

Means a strong attraction, liking, or natural connection.

gregarious

Means sociable and inclined to seek or enjoy the company of others.

vs.
indifferent

Means without interest, concern, or preference; unaffected.

gregarious

Means sociable and inclined to seek or enjoy the company of others.

vs.
eccentric

Means highly unconventional or noticeably unusual.

Test gregarious in Context

The bird seeks and thrives in the company of others.

1

The bird's ___ behaviour is evident in the large, noisy colonies it forms during winter.

Prepared byFirst Academy
Editorial responsibilityFirst Academy Academic Team
Updated3 August 2026
Selection and reviewRead our methodology