antisocial
Loading your saved state.
antisocial
Describes behavior that is inconsiderate toward the community or other people. In colloquial language, it is often used as an insult for selfish or antisocial behavior.
Er hat seinen Müll einfach auf die Straße geworfen, das ist total asozial.
He just threw his trash onto the street; that's totally antisocial.
asocial
In a sociological or historical sense, it describes a person who is not integrated into society or cannot or does not want to adapt to its norms. This meaning is rare today and has a strongly negative connotation.
In der NS-Zeit wurden Menschen, die nicht dem gesellschaftlichen Ideal entsprachen, als „Asoziale“ verfolgt.
During the Nazi era, people who did not conform to the social ideal were persecuted as 'asocials'.
The word is made up of the Greek prefix 'a-' (meaning 'un-' or 'not') and the word 'sozial' (social). Literally, it therefore means 'un-social' or 'not capable of community life'.
Sein Verhalten war egoistisch und unkooperativ, also wirklich asozial.
His behavior was selfish and uncooperative, so really antisocial.
In today's usage, 'asozial' (antisocial) is usually a strong, colloquial insult. It expresses great annoyance about inconsiderate or selfish behavior.
Wer im Zug laut telefoniert, verhält sich asozial.
Someone who talks loudly on the phone on the train is behaving antisocially.
The sociological meaning is very rare today and heavily burdened by history in a negative way. The term was used during the Nazi era to stigmatize and persecute people who did not conform to social norms.
Historische Dokumente zeigen, wie der Begriff „Asoziale“ zur Ausgrenzung genutzt wurde.
Historical documents show how the term 'Asoziale' (asocials) was used for exclusion.
