sociological

American  

[soh-see-uh-loj-i-kuhl, soh-shee-] / ˌsoʊ si əˈlɒdʒ ɪ kəl, ˌsoʊ ʃi- /

Also sociologic

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of sociology and its methodology.

2. dealing with social questions or problems, especially focusing on cultural and environmental factors rather than on psychological or personal characteristics.

   a sociological approach to art.

3. organized into a society; social.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsociological adjective
• sociologically adverb
• unsociological adjective
• unsociologically adverb

Etymology

Origin of sociological

First recorded in 1835–45; sociolog(y) + -ic + -al ¹

Example Sentences

“Second Skin” is more sociological than sexy; more anthropological than animalistic.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

The term isn’t an insult; it’s a well-established sociological concept used to describe how trends such as eating disorders and even suicide clusters can spread.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

He stands at the crossroads of football, race, and modern celebrity - a figure both sociological and sporting.

From BBC • Oct. 7, 2025

This is a blinkered and shallow understanding of religion that crumbles under historical or sociological scrutiny.

From Slate • Jul. 9, 2025

The scientific network is another term for that sociological reality: Pascal announced his discoveries to Mersenne’s network, and persuaded them that his facts were right by getting them to repeat his experiments.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton