There's no shortage of possible nicknames to use with your partner: Babe, baby, honey, sweetheart, darling, and more are all popular, but the options are as endless as your imagination. The one unifier among all of these alternative names? You use them with your romantic counterpart—not when talking about them. So, what do people commonly call their partners (other than their names, of course!) when talking about them to other people? One that you've probably heard time and time again is "S.O." If you've ever been talking to a friend, family member, colleague, or acquaintance, heard them refer to someone as their "S.O.," and wondered what that meant, you've come to the right place.
Here, we explain exactly what the abbreviation S.O. (sometimes written as S/O) stands for, other versions to know about, the history of the abbreviation, and what it means when used outside the confines of a relationship.
What Does "S.O." Stand For?
S.O. is the non-gendered abbreviation for significant other. When someone uses it, they could be talking about their spouse, life partner, or any person they share a long-term, committed romantic relationship with.
History of the Abbreviation "S.O."
The term "significant other" was first used in 1953 by psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan in his book The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry, but the abbreviated term "S.O." is widely believed to have come from online chat rooms popular during the early 1990s. People had to shorten long words when typing messages to reduce their time online. At the time,mostinternet connections were made via landline, and the time spent and theamount of information shared was limited and/or paid for by the amount of data.
Other "S.O." Iterations to Know About
All that said, S.O. isn't the only abbreviation you may come across when discussing relationships. In some circles, especially those discussingpansexualityoropen relationships, you may hear or see the abbreviation O.S.O., which refers to "other significant other." Another term used is S.S.O. for "secondary significant other," used in partnerships where there are primary and secondary relationships.
"Significant Other" in Social and Business Uses
In many social or business situations, the term "significant other" refers to someone that offers support to another person as a friend, family member, partner, or spouse. Ultimately, though, S.O. does not refer to gender or specifically romantic entanglements, and it does not specify the nature of the relationship. For instance, many hospitals now use "significant other" in their paperwork to refer to a person who can offer support during testing, treatment, or illness. Many companies will use the term on their invitations or announcements to share that the people attending the event can bring a plus one.
In the dating world, a significant other refers to a partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, or someone with whom you share an intimate, romantic relationship. Because the term doesn't imply gender, sexuality, or relationship status, many couples adopted the phrase during the 80s and 90s to avoid offense or confusion. Synonyms for significant other include better half, civil union, boyfriend, girlfriend, domestic partner, lover, mate, partner,and spouse.
Scientific Uses of the Term "Significant Other"
In psychological terms, a significant other refers to someone who holds great importance to another and affects their well-being either positively or negatively. In sociology, a significant other refers instead to a person that affects one's sense of self in an important way. In social psychology, a significant other refers to someone that helps a child socialize and takes care of them during their formative years, such as a parent, grandparent, or instructor.
