Anthropology

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ˌænθɹəˈpÉ’lÉ™dÊ’i/
• GenAm IPA: /ˌænθɹəˈpɑːlÉ™dÊ’i/

Origin

From anthropo-, from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (anthropos, "man, mankind, human, humanity") + -logy.

Full definition of anthropology

Noun

1. The holistic scientific and social study of humanity, mainly using ethnography as its method.According to anthropology, there are six basic patterns of kinship terminology (i.e., "kin naming systems"): Sudanese, Hawaiian, Eskimo, Crow, Omaha, and Iroquois.

Usage notes

Anthropology is distinguished from other social science disciplines by its emphasis on in-depth examination of context, cross-cultural comparisons, and the importance it places on long-term, experiential immersion in the area of research.

Meronyms

Derived terms