Societally

Societally is an adverb derived from the adjective societal. It is used to describe actions, phenomena, or analyses that pertain to society as a whole or to the collective social structures rather than to individuals, micro-level interactions, or local contexts. It emphasizes breadth and systemic scope.

In academic and policy writing, societally is employed to signal a broad social dimension. It often contrasts with terms like individually, locally, or personally, and with socially, which can have a broader or different emphasis. Typical usage includes phrases such as societally oriented research, societally impactful policies, or trends with societally embedded causes.

The term is less common than socially, and some editors consider it stylistically marked. It is most appropriate when authors want to stress the scale of impact or the institutional context. When used, it should align with adjectives and nouns that reference collective or structural social features, to avoid ambiguity with other adverbs that describe different kinds of influence.

See also societal, social, society, sociology.