anthropology

noun

an·​thro·​pol·​o·​gy ˌan(t)-thrə-ˈpä-lə-jē How to pronounce anthropology (audio)
1
: the science of human beings
especially : the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture
2
: theology dealing with the origin, nature, and destiny of human beings
anthropological adjective
anthropologically adverb
anthropologist noun

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The Origin of Anthropology

The word anthropology dates back to the late 16th century, but it was not until the 19th century that it was applied to the academic discipline that now bears its name. In the United States, this field of study is typically divided into four distinct branches: physical (or biological) anthropology, archaeology, cultural (or social) anthropology, and linguistic anthropology.

Anthropology is from the New Latin word anthropologia (“the study of humanity”) and shares its ultimate root in Greek, anthrōpos (“human being”), with a number of other words in English, such as anthropomorphize, philanthropy, and misanthrope.

Examples of anthropology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And during that time, when anthropology was still starkly affected by racist conceptions of human history, experts often failed to see fossils from Africa as directly relevant to human evolution and instead preferred to focus on human fossils from Europe and Asia. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024 One hypothesis is that gripping and subsequently nails emerged specifically to help our predecessors forage fruits and nuts at the end of tree branches, says Doug Boyer, an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 21 Nov. 2024 The Texas native earned a degree in evolutionary anthropology at Duke. Ashley Mahoney, Axios, 24 July 2024 Among the people trapped in those suburbs was a graduate student in anthropology named Evheny Osievsky. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for anthropology 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin anthropologia "study of humanity, science of human nature," from anthropo- anthropo- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anthropology was in 1593

Dictionary Entries Near anthropology

Cite this Entry

“Anthropology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthropology. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

anthropology

noun
an·​thro·​pol·​o·​gy ˌan(t)-thrə-ˈpäl-ə-jē How to pronounce anthropology (audio)
: the science of human beings and especially of their physical characteristics, their origin, their environment and social relations, and their culture
anthropological adjective
anthropologist noun

Medical Definition

anthropology

noun
an·​thro·​pol·​o·​gy ˌan(t)-thrə-ˈpäl-ə-jē How to pronounce anthropology (audio)
plural anthropologies
: the science of humans
especially : the study of humans in relation to distribution, origin, classification, and relationship of races, physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture
anthropological adjective
anthropologically adverb
anthropologist noun

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