sociology

American  

[soh-see-ol-uh-jee, soh-shee-] / ˌsoʊ siˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌsoʊ ʃi- /

noun

• sociologies
  plural

1. the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society; the science of the fundamental laws of social relations, institutions, etc.

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sociology British  

/ ˌsəʊsɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌsəʊsɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the development, organization, functioning, and classification of human societies

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sociology Scientific  

/ sō′sē-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of human social behavior and its origins, development, organizations, and institutions.

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sociology Cultural  

1. The systematic study of human society, especially present-day societies. Sociologists study the organization, institutions, and development of societies, with a particular interest in identifying causes of the changing relationships among individuals and groups. (See social science.)

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Usage

What is sociology? Sociology is the study of human society and the social interactions and behavior of humans. Sociology is, generally speaking, the study of human interaction. How do people socialize? What happens when people live together? How are members of a group influencing each other? Why does someone become a king and someone else lives their whole life as a peasant? These are the kinds of questions a sociologist is interested in. Sociology is an incredibly broad science and often overlaps with other fields of study, such as psychology or economics. A sociologist may look at social groups on a large (macro) scale, such as studying the different societies of Asia, or may look at groups on a small (micro) scale, such as studying Brazilian teenagers or even a single town. As far as a sociologist is concerned, no person ever makes a decision without some influence from society or their social groups. Sociology isn’t just the study of people but more specifically the study of what happens when people are around each other.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sociologist
  noun
• sociological
  adjective
• sociologically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sociologies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sociology

From the French word sociologie, dating back to 1835–45. See socio-, -logy

Explanation

Sociology is the study of human cultures, communities, and societies. Sociology attempts to explain how a society works, whether that society is a native tribe in the Amazon or an old folks’ home in Nebraska. Sociology is one of the social — sometimes called soft — sciences. It's the study of human actions and interactions. People who study sociology — sociologists — look at how people interact in groups and what kinds of religions, governments, schools, and other ways of life they create. While psychology looks mostly at individuals, sociology looks at people in groups.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sociology sociologies

Arday resigned as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education last week amid allegations of plagiarism and questions about some of his achievements.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Arday had announced that he was resigning with immediate effect both from his university post as professor of sociology of education and as a fellow of Jesus College.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

He went on to become an associate professor at Durham University and professor of sociology of education at the University of Glasgow.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

I’m an associate professor of sociology and criminology, and my scholarship focuses on far-right networks and digital radicalization – the exact ecosystem where these conspiracy theories have taken root and spread.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026

“My mom’s a sociology professor,” he says, his face turning strawberry red.

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

In her catalog essay, Ms. Semmelhack does a good job of surveying the history of sneakers and their associated sociologies.

From New York Times ● Jul. 9, 2015

My curiosity, in the case of Prince Jones, opened a world of newspaper clippings, histories, and sociologies.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Related Words

• folklore