sociology

American  

[soh-see-ol-uh-jee, soh-shee-] / ˌsoʊ siˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌsoʊ ʃi- /

noun

1. the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society; the science of the fundamental laws of social relations, institutions, etc.

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sociology British  

/ ˌsəʊsɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌsəʊsɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the development, organization, functioning, and classification of human societies

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sociology Scientific  

/ sō′sē-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of human social behavior and its origins, development, organizations, and institutions.

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sociology Cultural  

1. The systematic study of human society, especially present-day societies. Sociologists study the organization, institutions, and development of societies, with a particular interest in identifying causes of the changing relationships among individuals and groups. (See social science.)

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Usage

What is sociology? Sociology is the study of human society and the social interactions and behavior of humans.Sociology is, generally speaking, the study of human interaction. How do people socialize? What happens when people live together? How are members of a group influencing each other? Why does someone become a king and someone else lives their whole life as a peasant? These are the kinds of questions a sociologist is interested in.Sociology is an incredibly broad science and often overlaps with other fields of study, such as psychology or economics. A sociologist may look at social groups on a large (macro) scale, such as studying the different societies of Asia, or may look at groups on a small (micro) scale, such as studying Brazilian teenagers or even a single town.As far as a sociologist is concerned, no person ever makes a decision without some influence from society or their social groups. Sociology isn’t just the study of people but more specifically the study of what happens when people are around each other.

Other Word Forms

• sociological adjective
• sociologically adverb
• sociologist noun

Etymology

Origin of sociology

From the French word sociologie, dating back to 1835–45. See socio-, -logy

Example Sentences

Grace Kao, a sociology professor at Yale University, said that while it features collaborations with Western songwriters and producers, the title works to "remind international fans that BTS is, first and foremost, a Korean group".

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

"The young generation feels India has been intervening in our country for many years," says Mosharraf Hossain, a 24-year-old sociology student.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

“She was a social satirist who was very well aware of currents in sociology and, in particular, psychology and psychiatry, which she mocked in a gentle but devastating way.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

“Why wasn’t the school district notified about a gunman? Why weren’t parents warned?” said Jody Vallejo, a Fullerton parent and professor of sociology at USC.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

But what Veblen could not have foreseen is where some of that pressure is coming from, says Juliet B. Schor, a professor of sociology at Boston College who has written widely on consumer culture.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• folklore