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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

social studies

I was sitting in seventh grade social studies, where we were encouraged to discuss current events.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026

To answer that, it’s worth going back to seventh grade social studies.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 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

And Narbé — a 5th- and 6th-grade social studies teacher in Hollywood — had no qualms about backing these Iranian men.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

I decided I’d say something to him when we were together in social studies class right after lunch.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

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