Refers specifically to a Shinto shrine, a place of worship in Japan's indigenous religion. Often used in proper names (e.g., 春日大社).
There is an old shrine on the outskirts of the village.
I visited a famous shrine for the first shrine visit of the year.
They built a small shrine deep in the mountains.
The local deity is enshrined at this shrine.
Shrines (神社) are typically counted with 社, as in 一社, 二社.
Standard kanji spelling for a Shinto shrine.
The native word is generally analyzed as 屋代, literally a dwelling or site set apart for a deity. 社 is the established semantic spelling for this shrine sense.