social distancing

noun

medical

: the practice of maintaining a greater than usual physical distance (such as six feet or more) from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people or objects in public places during the outbreak of a contagious disease in order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection : physical distancing

San Francisco issued recommendations for social distancing on Friday, advising residents to stay home as much as possible and avoid congregating in large groups.

—Taryn Luna and Melody Gutierrez

Under a new "social distancing" strategy, handshaking could be discouraged, with other, less tactile forms of greeting taking its place.

—Rosa Silverman

The term social distancing may be foreign to some, but the concept is one often practiced during the flu season, said Dora Anne Mills, the state's former top health official and currently chief health improvement officer for MaineHealth.

—Gillian Graham

Examples of social distancing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite opposition from dealer groups and related advocacy organizations, the untraditional way of selling cars to in-market buyers gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when many storefronts were closed due to social distancing regulations. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025

That was five years ago, and the United States has long since tamped down the spread of the disease with social distancing and vaccines. —Terina Allen, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

At the time, Cantrell batted away the criticism, noting that Mardi Gras that year, recognized that year on Feb. 25, was still weeks before most of the country mandated social distancing. —Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 3 Jan. 2025

Hardening against embers, clearing around houses, getting neighborhoods to adopt protective measures — this is like wearing masks, practicing social distancing and achieving herd immunity. —Stephen A. Pyne, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2003, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

social distancing

noun

: the practice of maintaining a greater than usual physical distance (as six feet) from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people or objects in public places during the outbreak of a contagious disease