sociological
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of sociology and its methodology.
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dealing with social questions or problems, especially focusing on cultural and environmental factors rather than on psychological or personal characteristics.
a sociological approach to art.
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organized into a society; social.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of sociological
First recorded in 1835–45; sociolog(y) + -ic + -al 1
Explanation
Anything sociological has to do with how society works. Sociological research — like, say, a sociological study that looks at economic inequality in a country — focuses on what people are doing not as individuals but as a group, Sociology is the study of how societies function—the way they form, what rules they follow, the way change affects them, and so on. Things that are related to sociology are sociological, and people who are particularly interested in sociological things are sociologists. They study things like the effects of technology or the role of art in a society. The Latin root of sociological is socius, "associate."
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.
Around 56 percent of Spaniards identify as Catholic compared to 90 percent in the 1970s, according to a survey last month by the Centre for Sociological Research, an autonomous government body.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
The research was published online Feb. 20 in the journal Sociological Focus.
From Science Daily • Feb. 29, 2024
In their article "A Sociological Analysis of 'OK Boomer,'" sociologists Jason Mueller and John McCollum describe how we're in a period rife with confusions exacerbated by the internet.
From Salon • Jan. 17, 2024
People who grew up in professional families are four times more likely to be in creative work than those who did not, according to the British Sociological Association.
From BBC • Nov. 18, 2023
Sociological note to self: People never forget how to flirt.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
