The English word 'society' can be stretched or narrowed to cover almost any form of association of people possessing any degree of common interests, values, or goals.

'Society' in the nineteenth century referred to the upper classes. In the most normal context it refers to a society defined by the boundaries of the state, even though this usage is rather strange and potentially misleading in the many cases where there is more than one sizeable ethnic or cultural group in a society, such as Canada and South Africa.

The word may also refer to an organised voluntary association of people encompassing for example relationships, law, religion & spirituality and activism.

The English word 'society' emerged in the 15th century and is derived from the French 'soci't'. The French word, in turn, had its origin in the Latin 'societas', a friendly association with others', from 'socius' meaning 'companion, associate, comrade or business partner'.

In some countries (such as the USA or France) 'society' is a business term to denote a partnership between investors or the start of a business. This is not the case in the UK however, where cooperatives or mutuals are often known as societies (such as friendly societies and building societies).

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