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.

“We’ve always highlighted civics, social studies, history, economics and very specifically about how countries operate,” says series creator and executive producer Aaron Augenblick.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Frankl became a friend and mentor to Eger, who taught middle-school social studies in El Paso and later earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Saybrook University.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

He said he hadn’t even read the new social studies standards.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2025

Experts in Oklahoma education also questioned how much any changes in social studies standards would actually make a difference on the ground.

From Slate • Jul. 22, 2025

The wall between the social studies and science classrooms has been opened.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

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