so ‧ ci ‧ ol ‧ o ‧ gy /ˌsəʊsiˈɒlədʒi, ˌsəʊʃi- $ ˌsoʊsiˈɑːl-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ society , ↑ sociologist , ↑ sociology , ↑ sociability , ↑ social , ↑ socialism , ↑ socialist , ↑ socialite , ↑ socialization , ↑ sociopath ; adjective : ↑ sociable ≠ ↑ unsociable , ↑ social ≠ ANTI-SOCIAL , ↑ unsocial , ↑ socialist , ↑ socialistic , ↑ societal , ↑ sociological , ↑ sociopathic ; adverb : ↑ socially , ↑ sociably , ↑ sociologically ; verb : ↑ socialize ]
the scientific study of societies and the behaviour of people in groups
—sociologist noun [countable]
—sociological /ˌsəʊsiəˈlɒdʒɪk ə l, ˌsəʊʃi- $ ˌsoʊsiəˈlɑː-, ˌsoʊʃi-/ adjective :
a sociological study
—sociologically /-kli/ adverb
⇨ anthropology
, ethnology
, social science