Dissocialize is from dis- ('reversal') + socialize, from Latin socialis ('of companionship'), from socius ('companion, ally'). The ancestry passes through Latin dis-, Latin socialis, and Latin socius. The prefix dis- often marks separation, reversal, or negation in Latin and English formations, helping to explain the word's surface structure. In present use as a verb, it means "to make unsociable or to withdraw from social interaction", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include socialize, dissociate, social, and dissociation; derived forms include dissocialization.