sociological

adjective

so·​cio·​log·​i·​cal ˌsō-sē-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce sociological (audio)
ˌsō-sh(ē-)ə-
variants or less commonly sociologic
ˌsō-sē-ə-ˈlä-jik How to pronounce sociological (audio)
ˌsō-sh(ē-)ə-
1
: of or relating to sociology or to the methodological approach of sociology
2
: oriented or directed toward social needs and problems
sociologically adverb

Examples of sociological in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Published in January, the paper had started out as a sort of sociological study of what factors might lead people to be more or less amenable to taking a COVID-19 vaccine. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023 China’s sense of anomie is also sociological, however, especially for young people. Rana Mitter, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Parsons' Social Action Theory Talcott Parsons, a significant figure in 20th-century sociological theory, introduced functionalism to understand how society's various parts contribute to its stability or equilibrium. Sindhu Bhaskar, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 All names here are pseudonyms, because the young adults in my sociological study were promised anonymity. Eric Klinenberg, TIME, 9 Feb. 2024 As climate change brings more extreme weather — drought followed by deluges — Southern California will have to grapple with keeping flood defenses strong while dealing with some of the ecological, sociological and environmental damage the concrete system has caused. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2024 Post-lockdown, some of Americans’ habits have stuck for both health and sociological reasons. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2024 Unlike many scholars who have addressed the history of faith and work, Lynn understands that various cultural, eschatological, and sociological commitments from adherents of different schools of thought were not merely tangential. David L. Bahnsen, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024 Some of the factors leading to the swift consensus were sociological. Richard Panek, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sociological.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sociological was in 1843

Dictionary Entries Near sociological

Cite this Entry

“Sociological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sociological. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sociological

adjective
so·​cio·​log·​i·​cal ˌsō-sē-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl How to pronounce sociological (audio)
ˌsō-sh(ē-)ə-
variants also sociologic
1
: of or relating to sociology or its methods
2
: concerned with or relating to social needs and problems
sociologically adverb

Medical Definition

sociological

adjective
so·​cio·​log·​i·​cal ˌsō-sē-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl How to pronounce sociological (audio) ˌsō-sh(ē-)ə- How to pronounce sociological (audio)
variants also sociologic
: of or relating to sociology or to the methodological approach of sociology
sociologically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on sociological

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