Society vs. Nation — What's the Difference?

An organization or club formed for a particular purpose or activity.

A large group of people with common ancestry or culture.

The situation of being in the company of other people.

A territory with its own government and borders.

The aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community

The people of a large territory united by common descent, history, culture, or language, living in a particular area.

A community of people linked by common activities or interests.

A people who share common customs, origins, history, and frequently language; a nationality

The aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community.

A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a common language, history, ethnicity, a common culture and, in many cases, a shared territory. A nation is a collective identity of people.

The structured community within a nation.

A relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government; a country.

A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent of members.

The territory occupied by such a group of people

An organization or club formed for a particular purpose or activity

The government of a sovereign state.

The situation of being in the company of other people

A federation or tribe, especially one composed of Native Americans.

The totality of people regarded as forming a community of interdependent individuals

The territory occupied by such a federation or tribe.

A group of people broadly distinguished from other groups by mutual interests, participation in characteristic relationships, shared institutions, and a common culture

A historically constituted, stable community of people, formed based on a common language, territory, economic life, ethnicity and/or psychological make-up manifested in a common culture.

An organization or association of persons engaged in a common profession, activity, or interest

A sovereign state.

The wealthy, socially dominant members of a community. Also called high society.

An association of students based on its members' birthplace or ethnicity.

Companionship; company

(obsolete) A great number; a great deal.

(Biology) A colony or community of organisms, usually of the same species

(rare) Damnation.

(countable) A long-standing group of people sharing cultural aspects such as language, dress, norms of behavior and artistic forms.

Extremely, very.

(countable) A group of people who meet from time to time to engage in a common interest; an association or organization.

A part, or division, of the people of the earth, distinguished from the rest by common descent, language, or institutions; a race; a stock.

(countable) The sum total of all voluntary interrelations between individuals.

The body of inhabitants of a country, united under an independent government of their own.

(uncountable) The people of one’s country or community taken as a whole.

Family; lineage.

(uncountable) High society.

One of the divisions of university students in a classification according to nativity, formerly common in Europe.

A number of people joined by mutual consent to deliberate, determine and act toward a common goal.

A great number; a great deal; - by way of emphasis; as, a nation of herbs.

The relationship of men to one another when associated in any way; companionship; fellowship; company.

A politically organized body of people under a single government;

Connection; participation; partnership.

The people who live in a nation or country;

A number of persons associated for any temporary or permanent object; an association for mutual or joint usefulness, pleasure, or profit; a social union; a partnership; as, a missionary society.

A federation of tribes (especially native American tribes);

The persons, collectively considered, who live in any region or at any period; any community of individuals who are united together by a common bond of nearness or intercourse; those who recognize each other as associates, friends, and acquaintances.

United States prohibitionist who raided saloons and destroyed bottles of liquor with a hatchet (1846-1911)

Specifically, the more cultivated portion of any community in its social relations and influences; those who mutually give receive formal entertainments.

A community of people composed of one or more nationalities.

An extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

A country considered as a group of people with the same language, culture, and history, who live in a particular area under one government.

A formal association of people with similar interests;

The state of being with someone;

The fashionable elite

Yes, individuals often participate in multiple societies based on varied interests and roles.

Typically, yes, a nation has a recognizable government, but the term can also refer to a people united by identity without political recognition.

Yes, society can exist independently of a nation as it is based on shared interests or cultures, not political borders.

Yes, societies within a nation can evolve independently of national changes.

Not necessarily, as nations often encompass multiple societies within them.

Societal values and norms can significantly influence the formation and governance of a nation.

Yes, nations can comprise diverse societies with varying norms and values.

Large or influential societies within a nation can have significant political impact.

They interact through social, economic, and sometimes political exchanges.

In common usage, yes, but some nations may not have sovereignty, which is a key characteristic of a country.

Societies typically follow informal norms, while nations are governed by formal laws.

Not always; societal values can differ from the official values promoted by a nation.

A nation's culture can influence its foreign policy and the way it interacts with other nations.

Culture in society is defined by shared beliefs, practices, and customs.

Yes, significant national events can lead to shifts in societal norms and behaviors.