sociolinguistics

[ soh-see-oh-ling-gwis-tiks, soh-shee- ]

noun(used with a singular verb)
  1. the study of language as it functions in society; the study of the interaction between linguistic and social variables.

Origin of sociolinguistics

1
First recorded in 1935–40; socio- + linguistics

Other words from sociolinguistics

  • so·ci·o·lin·guist, noun
  • so·ci·o·lin·guis·tic, adjective
  • so·ci·o·lin·guis·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby sociolinguistics

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sociolinguistics in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sociolinguistics

sociolinguistics

/ (ˌsəʊsɪəʊlɪŋˈɡwɪstɪks) /


noun
  1. (functioning as singular) the study of language in relation to its social context

Derived forms of sociolinguistics

  • sociolinguist, noun
  • sociolinguistic, adjective

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