social studies

noun

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

social studies

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of social studies¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Director Lauren Greenfield and three of her ‘Social Studies’ subjects, now college students, reflect on FX’s extraordinarily intimate look inside the lives of L.A. teens.

From Los Angeles Times

Miranda couldn’t afford a replacement, and his social studies teacher, unimpressed with the script he submitted, awarded him a B-.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Slate

Some Republican lawmakers in the state have claimed the new social studies standards were rushed through after Walters misled them about deadlines for its approval.

From Slate

His Bible mandate may or may not survive legal challenges, but the social studies standards, which were written with the input of the president of the Heritage Foundation and leading proponents of teaching a Christian nationalist understanding of U.S. history, are already in place in schools.

From Slate