Definitions for anthropology
ˌæn θrəˈpɒl ə dʒian·thro·pol·o·gy

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.5 / 2 votes

1. anthropologynoun

   the social science that studies the origins and social relationships of human beings

GCIDERate this definition:2.0 / 2 votes

1. Anthropologynoun

   The science of man, including the study of the ditribution of physical and cultural attributes in relation to man's origin, location, history, and environment; -- sometimes used in a limited sense to mean the study of man as an object of natural history, or as an animal.

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. anthropologynoun

   The holistic scientific and social study of humanity, mainly using ethnography as its method.

2. Etymology: From anthropo-, from ἄνθρωπος + -logy.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Anthropologynoun

   The doctrine of anatomy; the doctrine of the form and structure of the body of man.

   Etymology: from ἄνϑϱωπος, man, and λέγω, to discourse.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Anthropology

   Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavior, while cultural anthropology studies cultural meaning, including norms and values. A portmanteau term sociocultural anthropology is commonly used today. Linguistic anthropology studies how language influences social life. Biological or physical anthropology studies the biological development of humans.Archaeological anthropology, often termed as “anthropology of the past,” studies human activity through investigation of physical evidence. It is considered a branch of anthropology in North America and Asia, while in Europe archaeology is viewed as a discipline in its own right or grouped under other related disciplines, such as history and palaeontology.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Anthropologynoun

   the science of the structure and functions of the human body

2. Anthropologynoun

   the science of man; -- sometimes used in a limited sense to mean the study of man as an object of natural history, or as an animal

3. Anthropologynoun

   that manner of expression by which the inspired writers attribute human parts and passions to God

4. Etymology: [Gr. 'a`nqrwpos man + -logy.]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Anthropology

   Anthropology is the "science of humanity." It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos, "man", understood to mean humankind or humanity, and -logia, "discourse" or "study." Since the work of Franz Boas and Bronisław Malinowski in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, anthropology has been distinguished from other social sciences by its emphasis on in-depth examination of context, cross-cultural comparisons, and the importance it places on participant-observation, or long-term, experiential immersion in the area of research. Cultural anthropology in particular has emphasized cultural relativism, holism, and the use of findings to frame cultural critiques. This has been particularly prominent in the United States, from Boas's arguments against 19th-century racial ideology, through Margaret Mead's advocacy for gender equality and sexual liberation, to current criticisms of post-colonial oppression and promotion of multiculturalism. Ethnography is one of its primary methods as well as the text that is generated from anthropological fieldwork. In the United States, the discipline is traditionally divided into four sub-fields: cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and biological anthropology. In Europe, the discipline originated as ethnology and was originally defined as the study of social organization in non-state societies. It was later renamed social anthropology. It is now sometimes referred to as sociocultural anthropology in most of Europe, the Commonwealth, and in the parts of the world that were influenced by the European tradition.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Anthropology

   an-throp-ol′oj-i, n. the science of man, more especially considered as a social animal: the natural history of man in its widest sense, treating of his relation to the brutes, his evolution, the different races, &c.—adj. Anthropolog′ical.—adv. Anthropolog′ically.—n. Anthropol′ogist, one versed in anthropology. [Gr. anthrōpos, man, and logos, discourse—legein, to say.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Anthropology

   the science of man as he exists or has existed under different physical and social conditions.

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Anthropology

   The science devoted to the comparative study of man.

Matched Categories

1. • Social Science

How to pronounce anthropology?

1. Alex

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How to say anthropology in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of anthropology in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of anthropology in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of anthropology in a Sentence

1. Aleister Crowley:

   Men and women are not free to love decently until they have analyzed themselves completely and swept away every mystery from sex; and this means the acquisition of a profound philosophical theory based on wide reading of anthropology and enlightened practice.

2. Neil Postman:

   Because he did not have time to read every new book in his field, the great Polish anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski used a simple and efficient method of deciding which ones were worth his attention: Upon receiving a new book, he immediately checked the index to see if his name was cited, and how often. The more "Malinowski" the more compelling the book. No "Malinowski," and he doubted the subject of the book was anthropology at all.

3. Michael Brian Schiffer:

   Anthropology is the only discipline that can access evidence about the entire human experience on this planet.

4. Wystan Hugh Auden:

   History is, strictly speaking, the study of questions the study of answers belongs to anthropology and sociology.

5. Octavia E. Butler:

   I’ve talked to high school kids who are thinking about trying to become a writer and asking ‘What should I major in?’, and I tell them, ‘History. Anthropology. Something where you get to know the human species a little better, as opposed to something where you learn to arrange words.’ I don’t know whether that’s good advice or not, but it feels right to me.

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