noun
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).
村の外れに古い社がある。
There is an old shrine on the outskirts of the village.
初詣で有名な社を訪れた。
I visited a famous shrine for the first shrine visit of the year.
神社 is the more common, general term for a Shinto shrine. 社 (やしろ) is somewhat more literary or traditional, and often appears in proper names or set phrases.
The kanji 社 originally meant 'altar' or 'shrine' in Chinese. The reading やしろ is a native Japanese word (yamato-kotoba) of uncertain origin, possibly related to 屋 (ya, 'house') and 代 (shiro, 'substitute' or 'place'), but the exact derivation is unclear.