- the extent to which individuals or groups are removed from or excluded from participating in one another's lives.
- a safe or appropriate distance or amount of space between two people or between people in a group: Security concerns demand that officers maintain a social distance from inmates.Stay at a social distance of a few feet from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- to maintain a safe or appropriate distance from other people, especially to slow the spread of a contagious illness or disease:Mom’s trying hard to social distance, though she misses her weekly Bingo game.
- to place or keep at a safe or appropriate distance from other people: We’ve been exposed to the flu, so we’re social distancing ourselves from friends and extended family.
