Synonyms

social studies

American

noun

a course of instruction in an elementary or secondary school comprising such subjects as history, geography, civics, etc.

social studies British

noun

(functioning as singular) the study of how people live and organize themselves in society, embracing geography, history, economics, and other subjects

"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

Etymology

Origin of social studies

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

See Examples For:

social studies

Government and social studies and Texas history were my favorite subjects.

From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026

They must take five exams—English, math, science, social studies and “any additional” test.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Some do recall the morning but struggle to convey the magnitude of pain and fear to students for whom 9/11 is another date in a social studies course timeline.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

I was sitting in seventh grade social studies, where we were encouraged to discuss current events.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026

It made me feel better because I knew that last Monday, while Darren Ackleman was doing social studies worksheets, I’d seen a python eating a pig.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

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