CultureAugust 25, 2026

ethnology

eth-NOL-uh-jee

Definition

The branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek word 'ethnos' meaning 'nation' or 'people' and the suffix '-logy' meaning 'the study of.' It entered English in the 19th century to describe the comparative study of human cultures.

In the news

A student mentioned seeking a book on ethnology to illustrate how the Thousand Books for Youth project helps provide access to specialized academic subjects in the Uzbek language.

Can a State Build a Reading Culture? Uzbekistan Is Trying.

Read the full article ↗

The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific

Related words

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.