anthropology

American  

[an-thruh-pol-uh-jee] / ˌæn θrəˈpɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind.

2. the study of human beings' similarity to and divergence from other animals.

3. the science of humans and their works.

4. Also called philosophical anthropology.  the study of the nature and essence of humankind.

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anthropology British  

/ ˌænθrəˈpɒlədʒɪ, ˌænθrəpəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

noun

1. the study of humans, their origins, physical characteristics, institutions, religious beliefs, social relationships, etc See also cultural anthropology ethnology physical anthropology social anthropology

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anthropology Scientific  

/ ăn′thrə-pŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of humans, especially of their origin, their behavior, and their physical, social, and cultural development.

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anthropology Cultural  

1. The scientific study of the origin, development, and varieties of human beings and their societies, particularly so-called primitive societies.

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Usage

What is anthropology? Anthropology is the study of how humans have been different biologically, physically, socially, and culturally over time and space.Anthropology is a broad, diverse field of study that is usually divided into multiple subfields of study and research that specialize in different areas. Let’s look at some of these subfields to get a better understanding of the kinds of subjects an anthropologist might study.Archaeology is a major subfield of anthropology that has become well known thanks to major discoveries and pop culture. Archeology involves the study of human culture by recovering artifacts of past peoples. An archeologist might study the culture and society of the Mayans, for example, by searching for art, tools, or remains of buildings they left behind across the Americas.Cultural anthropology is the study of humanity’s different cultures. This subfield can overlap with archaeology and often involves information discovered from it. But where archaeology is usually concerned with cultures of the past, cultural anthropology might study present cultures, especially with how they differ from each other.Physical anthropology, or biological anthropology, focuses on how humans have physically and biologically changed over time. It also looks at how humans are different from other animals, especially chimpanzees and other primates. Anthropologists will often do this by analyzing bones of ancient humans or remains of animals that science considers to be relatives or ancestors of humans.

Other Word Forms

• anthropologic adjective
• anthropological adjective
• anthropologically adverb
• anthropologist noun
• pseudoanthropological adjective
• semianthropologic adjective
• semianthropological adjective
• semianthropologically adverb

Etymology

Origin of anthropology

First recorded in 1585–95; anthropo- + -logy

Example Sentences

Aylin Woodward is the reporter covering anthropology, space, climate change and other areas of science for The Wall Street Journal’s National Affairs team in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal

The setting also acts as a controlled environment for cultural anthropology.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Every person alive today carries radioactive isotopes from atmospheric testing in their bones," report co-author and University of South Carolina anthropology professor Magdalena Stawkowski told AFP.

From Barron's

In the lawsuit, Bhattacheryya also alleged she faced retaliation after she invited Prakash to speak as a guest lecturer on the topic of cultural relativism in her anthropology class.

From BBC

The British-born Mr. Restall is a professor of history and anthropology at Penn State University, where he is the director of Latin American Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• folklore
• sociology