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
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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.
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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
Questions about race and racial categories, which emerged as a social concept long before the field of genetics, are typically left to social studies teachers.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
Allison Cardwell, a mother of a fourth grader and a fifth grade social studies teacher, urged the board to rethink the standards.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
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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
Questions about race and racial categories, which emerged as a social concept long before the field of genetics, are typically left to social studies teachers.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
Allison Cardwell, a mother of a fourth grader and a fifth grade social studies teacher, urged the board to rethink the standards.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for social studies
Cite this Entry
“Social studies.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20studies. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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