sociology

noun

so·​ci·​ol·​o·​gy ˌsō-sē-ˈä-lə-jē How to pronounce sociology (audio) ˌsō-shē- How to pronounce sociology (audio)
1
: the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships
specifically : the systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of organized groups of human beings
2
: the scientific analysis of a social institution as a functioning whole and as it relates to the rest of society
3

Examples of sociology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, the cultural architect moved to Chicago to attend graduate school and receive a degree in computational sociology. Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026 Sarah Hayford, director of the Institute for Population Research and professor of sociology at The Ohio State University. Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 12 June 2026 Lewis-McCoy, a sociology professor at New York University, told The New York Times in 2021 that people of color increasingly are leaving cities for the suburbs because of the high cost of city living and to have access to safer communities and better schools. Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 June 2026 Many of them were in sociology, because that seemed to be the field of choice for Japanese Americans coming out of the camps, because sociology would maybe tell them what had happened to them. Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sociology

Word History

Etymology

French sociologie, from socio- + -logie -logy

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sociology was in 1842

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Cite this Entry

“Sociology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sociology. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

sociology

noun
so·​ci·​ol·​o·​gy ˌsō-sē-ˈäl-ə-jē How to pronounce sociology (audio)
ˌsō-shē-
: the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships

Medical Definition

sociology

noun
so·​ci·​ol·​o·​gy ˌsō-sē-ˈäl-ə-jē How to pronounce sociology (audio) ˌsō-shē- How to pronounce sociology (audio)
plural sociologies
: the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships
specifically : the systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of organized groups of human beings

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