ethnology

American  

[eth-nol-uh-jee] / ɛθˈnɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. a branch of anthropology that analyzes cultures, especially in regard to their historical development and the similarities and dissimilarities between them.

2. (formerly) a branch of cultural anthropology dealing with the origin, distribution, and distinguishing characteristics of human societies.

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ethnology British  

/ ɛθˈnɒlədʒɪ, ˌɛθnəˈlɒdʒɪk /

noun

1. the branch of anthropology that deals with races and peoples, their relations to one another, their origins, and their distinctive characteristics

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ethnology Cultural  

1. The study of contemporary cultures, in order to develop a theoretical framework for analyzing human society. Cultural anthropologists generally study societies by living among the people, observing, interviewing, and participating in their activities. More than simply describing the customs of these societies, anthropologists attempt to uncover underlying patterns and structures of cultural characteristics, such as language, mythology, gender roles, symbols (see also symbol), and rituals.

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Other Word Forms

• ethnologic adjective
• ethnological adjective
• ethnologically adverb
• ethnologist noun

Etymology

Origin of ethnology

First recorded in 1835–45; ethno- + -logy

Compare meaning

How does ethnology compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ethnography vs. ethnology

Explanation

Ethnology is a science that deals with the study of humans, looking at everything from the question of where we all come from to analyzing data about how we choose to live our lives now. With roots in the Greek ethnos meaning "people, nation, race" and logia referring to "the study of," ethnology takes into consideration culture, language, religion, race, and social structure. Unlike ethnography, which focuses on a single group, ethnology compares and contrasts more than one culture with the goal of better understand humanity as a whole.

Example Sentences

Called “Harlem on My Mind: Cultural Capital of Black America, 1900—1968,” it was a photomural-with-texts affair of a kind found in ethnology museums.

From New York Times • Feb. 19, 2024

I emailed the collection manager of archaeology and ethnology in the Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology to ask about Sandy.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2022

It’s an issue the museum has and is continuing to grapple with, said Peter Whiteley, curator of North American ethnology.

From Washington Times • May 13, 2022

"Originally I wanted to do ethnology, to discover the Berber people and my roots," he said.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2021

Next came the U.S. government, seeking to place an Indian exhibit on the island, and then Professor Putnam, the fair’s chief of ethnology, who saw the island as the ideal site for several exotic villages.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• civilization
• development
• folklore
• habit
• knowledge
• lifestyle
• society
• way of life