social studies

plural noun

: a part of a school or college curriculum concerned with the study of social relationships and the functioning of society and usually made up of courses in history, government, economics, civics, sociology, geography, and anthropology

Examples of social studies in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Prior to her position at Lincoln Elementary, Samuels served as principal of Gray Middle School in Tacoma, Washington, and as a middle school science, language arts and social studies teacher, and later assistant principal, in Chicago Public Schools for 18 years. Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026 All five Democrats on the State Board of Education (SBOE) called for an investigation Tuesday into a potential conflict of interest in the development of new, controversial social studies curriculum. Lacey Beasley, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026 The board also is considering social studies standards that have been criticized as too state-centric, not focused enough on world events and rife with an undercurrent of American exceptionalism. Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 An adviser to the state’s social studies overhaul says officials are rushing through the rewrite to push through a more conservative telling of history in public schools. Isaac Yu, Houston Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for social studies

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of social studies was in 1853

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Cite this Entry

“Social studies.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20studies. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

social studies

plural noun
: the studies dealing with human relationships and the way society works (as history, civics, economics, and geography)
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