social science
Americannoun
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the study of society and social behavior.
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a science or field of study, as history, economics, etc., dealing with an aspect of society or forms of social activity.
noun
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the study of society and of the relationship of individual members within society, including economics, history, political science, psychology, anthropology, and sociology
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any of these subjects studied individually
Other Word Forms
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.
Low teacher morale directly affects students, said Alex Robins, a social science teacher at Terra Linda High School in San Rafael.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 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
It is the founding concept of modern social science: David Hume’s theory of the balance of trade and Adam Smith’s conception of the market depend on the concept of a feedback mechanism.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
