Definition

A person who studies how language is used in social contexts and how it varies among different groups of people.

Example

The sociolinguist conducted research on how dialects differ in urban areas.

Conversation

Have you ever met a sociolinguist?

No, I haven't. What do they do?

They study how language interacts with society and culture.

That sounds really interesting! I’d love to learn more about it.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Sociolinguist → It is formed from "socio-" (from Latin "socius", meaning companion or associate) and "linguist" (from Latin "lingua", meaning tongue or language). The word describes a person who studies the relationship between language and social factors, emphasizing companionship in language use.

Memory Tip

Think of 'socio-' meaning companion and 'linguist' relating to language — a sociolinguist studies how language is used among companions in society.

Visually Confused Words