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

Talented writers and actors are bringing dry, crusty stories from our middle school social studies classes to life in ways both surprising and surprisingly fun, without sacrificing the gravity of their subject material. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025

Louise Dubé, the CEO of iCivics, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on civic education, says that civics is not just government or history or social studies, but a bit of all three. —Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 23 Nov. 2025

Last year’s winner was Imani Riley-Jones, a social studies teacher at Northeast High School. —Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 21 Nov. 2025

Carmen Northwest students performed close to MPS averages in science and social studies. —Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 20 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social studies

• buddies

Kids Definition

social studies

plural noun

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