sociology
noun
so·ci·ol·o·gy
| \ ˌsō-sē-ˈä-lə-jē
, ˌsō-shē-\
, ˌsō-shē-\
Definition of sociology
2
: the scientific analysis of a social institution as a functioning whole and as it relates to the rest of society
3
: synecology
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from sociology
sociologist
\ ˌsō-sē-ˈä-lə-jist ˌsō-shē-
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of sociology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
People across the country are leaving prison weighed down by child support debt, said Lynne Haney, a sociology professor at New York University who has studied the intersection of mass incarceration and child support enforcement. — Angie Jackson, Detroit Free Press, "Some Michigan prisoners rack up tens of thousands in debt. It's avoidable.," 5 Sep. 2019 Sarah Knudson, a sociology professor at the University of Saskatchewan who has written about coupling and matchmaking, says bespoke services like Sternbach’s usually cost thousands of dollars. — Marella Gayla, BostonGlobe.com, "Matchmaker, matchmaker still makes a match," 23 Aug. 2019 In the 1980s and ’90s, Huntington Beach and Anaheim gained a reputation for drawing both local and out-of-town white supremacists, said Pete Simi, a Chapman University sociology professor who focuses on extremist groups. — Los Angeles Times, "After Nazi salute video, more racist videos emerge, roiling O.C. school," 21 Aug. 2019 Stephen Russell, a sociology professor at The University of Texas at Austin who focuses on LGBTQ youth, says using appropriate language to refer to marginalized groups comes down to grammar. — Brianna Holt, Quartz, "Using the wrong language to describe identity does more harm than you think," 15 Aug. 2019 Ken-Hou Lin, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said that before the 1980s, U.S. public companies as a whole distributed about a third of their earnings to shareholders. — Michelle R. Smith, BostonGlobe.com, "Why many employees feel devalued even in booming job market," 12 Aug. 2019 For many of these shooters, hatred toward women and racist sentiment weave together, said Jennifer Carlson, a sociology professor at the University of Arizona who studies gun politics and gender. — Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, "Mass shootings and misogyny: The violent ideology we can't ignore," 6 Aug. 2019 Chris Benner, a sociology professor at UC Santa Cruz, said that kind of incremental automation is a far more likely scenario than robots replacing huge numbers of workers. — Leonardo Castañeda, The Mercury News, "Why robots won’t kill the Bay Area’s job growth: report," 5 Aug. 2019 Michael Kimmel, a sociology professor specializing in gender studies at Stony Brook University, tells the Guardian. — Sarah Todd, Quartz at Work, "The US men’s soccer team steps up as allies in the fight for equal pay," 31 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sociology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for sociology
sociology
noun
English Language Learners Definition of sociology
: the study of society, social institutions, and social relationships
See the full definition for sociology in the English Language Learners Dictionary
sociology
noun
so·ci·ol·o·gy
| \ ˌsō-sē-ˈäl-ə-jē
, ˌsō-shē-
\
, ˌsō-shē-
\
plural sociologies
Keep scrolling for more