Definition of Information Society
(noun) A society that produces non-material goods and services as opposed to material goods or agricultural products.
Example of Information Society
- The United States has slowly moved from an agricultural society, to an industrial society, and is now becoming an information society.
Information Society Pronunciation
Syllabification: in·for·ma·tion so·ci·e·ty
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /in-fuhr-mAY-shuhn suh-sIE-uh-tee/
- British English – /in-fuh-mAY-shuhn suh-sIE-uh-tee/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən səˈsaɪəti/
- British English – /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃən səˈsaɪəti/
Usage Note
- Plural: information societies
Additional Information
- Word origin of “information” and “society” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Klapp, Orrin E. 1986. Overload and Boredom: Essays on the Quality of Life in an Information Society. New York: Greenwood.
Related Terms
- automation
- culture
- culture lag
- nonmaterial culture
- norm
- service
- society
- technological diffusion
- technology
Cite the Definition of Information Society
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “information society.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved June 5, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/information-society/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
information society. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/information-society/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “information society.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/information-society/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“information society.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 5 Jun. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/information-society/>.