Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

social science

American  

noun

  1. the study of society and social behavior.

  2. a science or field of study, as history, economics, etc., dealing with an aspect of society or forms of social activity.

social science British  

noun

  1. the study of society and of the relationship of individual members within society, including economics, history, political science, psychology, anthropology, and sociology

  2. any of these subjects studied individually

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
social science Scientific  
/ sō′shəl /

  1. Any of various disciplines that study human society and social relationships, including sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, political science, and history.

social science Cultural  

  1. The study of how groups of people behave, often in an effort to predict how they will behave in the future. The social sciences include economics, anthropology, sociology, political science, and aspects of psychology and history.

Other Word Forms

  • social scientist noun

Etymology

Origin of social science

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Professor David Voas, emeritus professor of social science at University College London, was one of those who raised suspicion over the Bible Society's findings.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

The good news is that social science has answers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025

Decades of social science research shows that poverty — especially intergenerational poverty — is driven largely by structural and institutional forces beyond an individual’s control.

From Salon • Sep. 16, 2025

A dedicated social science programmewill run in tandem with the project's scientific development and will be led by Prof Joy Zhang, a sociologist, at the University of Kent.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2025

So, the highest of all our complex technologies in the hardest of our sciences will soon be engaged, full scale, in what is essentially biologic research—and with some aspects of social science, at that.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.