socially distant

English

Adjective

socially distant (comparative more socially distant, superlative most socially distant)

1. (neologism) Maintaining a certain distance between at least two people to contain the spread of an infectious disease.
   • 2020 March 18, Andrew Clark, “Driving in the time of COVID-19”, in The Globe and Mail, Online edition, Toronto:

     Social distancing is the act of curtailing public interactions.
     What could be more socially distant than the automobile?

   • 2020 April 9, Philip Galanes, “Should I Bankroll my New, Socially Distant Girlfriend?”, in New York Times, page ST 6:

     [headline] Should I Bankroll my New, Socially Distant Girlfriend?

   • 2020 June 18, Guy Faulconbridge, William James, “Brexit deadline looms over day of Anglo-French solidarity”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     Macron's first trip outside France since the coronavirus pandemic highlighted the new rules of socially-distant diplomacy as the normally tactile pair posed two metres apart for photos.

   • 2021 May 16, Marcelle Hopkins, “Lasers, a Drone and 31 Mics: How We Created a 3-D Experience of Hearing a Choir”, in New York Times, page A2:

     Churches are built for their acoustics, so when Tariro told our Narrative Projects team about these socially distant choirs, we wondered: What does that sound like?

Related terms

• social distance
• social distancing