social studies

American  

noun

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

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social studies British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of social studies

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

It feels more like something to be watched on the AV rig in a middle school social studies class.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

Public school teachers are trained to teach literacy, history and social studies, not theology, leaving educators to navigate how biblical texts will be presented while serving students from diverse religious backgrounds.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2026

Amanda Barnett, who co-founded the $21,500-a-year school three years ago, said the holdback program includes college visits and, in place of social studies, “an athletic personal development program” that covers NIL strategy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

How have we lost sight of this basic tenet of high school social studies?

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2025

The art teachers signed on first, followed by the social studies teachers, so now paper links are under construction all day, not just before and after school and at lunch.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman