sociology

[ soh-see-ol-uh-jee, soh-shee- ]
/ ˌsoʊ siˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌsoʊ ʃi- /
SEE 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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Origin of sociology

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

OTHER WORDS FROM sociology

so·ci·ol·o·gist, noun

Words nearby sociology

sociolinguistics, sociological, sociologism, sociologistic, sociologize, sociology, sociometry, sociopath, sociopathy, sociopolitical, sociopsychological
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to sociology

folklore, geography, government, history, civics

Example sentences 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 of sociology

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

Scientific 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.

Cultural 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.