Definition of anthropology
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
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Recent Examples of anthropology from the Web
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Nisrin Elamin, a Sudanese green card holder at the time and a Ph.D. student in anthropology at Stanford University, was one of the first to be detained shortly after the ban was announced.
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An 1835 farm deed refers to a graveyard there, wrote William Parry, an anthropology professor at Hunter College in New York, in a 2013 study of the grounds.
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To come up with the recipe for QingMing, Laffler sat down with Field Museum curator of anthropology Gary Feinman, who explained the brewing processes of ancient China.
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Clark-Deces, 61, was born in Paris and earned her bachelor's degree and doctorate, both in anthropology, from the University of California-Berkeley.
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Senior co-author Daniel Benyshek, PhD, an associate professor of anthropology at UNLV, agreed.
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Ather Zia, a member of the network and a professor of anthropology at the University of Northern Colorado, said that Facebook restored her account without explanation after two weeks.
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The university announced the adjunct anthropology faculty member, Katherine Dettwyler, would not be rehired to teach in the future.
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Dewey works in anthropology and archaeology at Clatsop Community College and specializes in shipwrecks and told The Daily Astorian that the piece of wood is some type of old growth timber.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anthropology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
Origin and Etymology of anthropology
New Latin anthropologia, from anthrop- + -logia -logy
Other Anthropology Terms
ANTHROPOLOGY Defined for English Language Learners
anthropology
playDefinition of anthropology for English Language Learners
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: the study of human races, origins, societies, and cultures
ANTHROPOLOGY Defined for Kids
anthropology
playDefinition of anthropology for Students
: a science that studies people and especially their history, development, distribution and culture
Medical Dictionary
anthropology
playMedical Definition of anthropology
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
Learn More about anthropology
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Spanish Central: Translation of anthropology Nglish: Translation of anthropology for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about anthropology
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