antisocial
/antɪˈsəʊʃ(ə)l
/adjective
1Contrary to the laws and customs of society, in a way that causes annoyance and disapproval in others: children’s antisocial behaviour...
- The UK government's obsession with tackling antisocial behaviour is making society even more lonely and fragmented.
- She said the boy had already signed an antisocial behaviour contract, under which police and the authorities monitor his actions closely.
- In contrast, the antisocial behaviour of children who did not have psychopathic tendencies was mainly influenced by environmental factors.
Synonyms
objectionable, offensive, beyond the pale, unacceptable, unsocial, asocial, distasteful;
disruptive, disorderly, lawless, rebellious;
sociopathic
1.1 Psychiatry Sociopathic.High rates of parental antisocial personality disorder, substance abuse, and maternal depression have been found in boys referred to clinics for aggressive behavior....
- The combination of impulsive sensation-seeking and aggression was also related to antisocial personality disorder among male prisoners and to level of cocaine abuse.
- About 3 percent of men and about 1 percent of women have antisocial personality disorder, with much higher percentages among the prison population.
2Not sociable or wanting the company of others.Bessie was wildly sociable; Jack was antisocial....
- But don't assume that packing food means lunch hours secluded in our cubicles like antisocial moles or hermits.
- I'm therefore viewing it in a far more solitary, antisocial way, on my computer, and I'm watching it alongside computer texts, often texts that relate to, back up or expand my understanding of the TV show.
Synonyms
unsociable, misanthropic, unwilling to mix with other people, unfriendly, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, reserved, withdrawn, retiring, reclusive
Usage
On the difference in use between antisocial, unsocial, and unsociable, see unsociable (usage).
Derivatives
antisocially
- Lunatic bikers who flout speed limits and ride antisocially are often ‘lifestyle’ criminals who take little notice of the law, according to one of North Yorkshire's most senior police officers.
- A teenage youth offender, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been banned from acting antisocially in a large area of York centred around the Bell Farm estate.
- As part of a new scheme, police show a yellow card to warn offenders who are behaving antisocially, followed by a red card if they repeat their behaviour or commit a violent offence.