definitions

sociology

[ soh-see-ol-uh-jee, soh-shee- ]
/ ˌsoʊ siˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌsoʊ ʃi- /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sociology ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society; the science of the fundamental laws of social relations, institutions, etc.

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RELATED WORDS

folklore, geography, government, history, civics

Nearby words

sociolinguistics, sociological, sociologism, sociologistic, sociologize, sociology, sociometry, sociopath, sociopathy, sociopolitical, sociopsychological

Origin of sociology

From the French word sociologie, dating back to 1835–45. See socio-, -logy

Related forms

so·ci·ol·o·gist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sociology

British Dictionary definitions for sociology

sociology

/ (ˌsəʊsɪˈɒlədʒɪ) /

noun

the study of the development, organization, functioning, and classification of human societies

Derived Forms

sociological (ˌsəʊsɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl), adjectivesociologically, adverbsociologist, noun
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

Science definitions for sociology

sociology

[ sō′sē-ŏl′ə-jē ]

The scientific study of human social behavior and its origins, development, organizations, and institutions.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for sociology

sociology

The systematic study of human society, especially present-day societies. Sociologists study the organization, institutions, and development of societies, with a particular interest in identifying causes of the changing relationships among individuals and groups. (See social science.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.