ethnography

eth·nog·ra·phy
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US/ɛθˈnɑɡɹəfi/UK/ɛθˈnɒɡɹəfi/

noun

The branch of anthropology that scientifically describes specific human cultures and societies.

Similar
descriptive anthropology
Less commonScrabble 23

Meanings

nounethnography (countable and uncountable, plural ethnographies)

plural ethnographies

  1. countableuncountableanthropologyThe branch of anthropology that scientifically describes specific human cultures and societies.
    1 more example

    By the end of the century, the APS’s membership included the leaders of the American anthropological establishment, whose primary investigative interests were the ethnography, linguistics, archeology, and physical anthropology of the American Indian, within a theoretical structure that was essentially historical.

    1997, Jacob W. Gruber, “American Philosophical Society”, in History of Physical Anthropology, page 64

    Synonyms: descriptive anthropology

  2. countableuncountableAn ethnographic work.

    As intellectuals read the written text, compile ethnographies, tour the non-Western terrain, and make art out of the charred remnants of these quests, we always run the risk of fortifying the old culture with neomythologies that continue to invade the private space of others.

    1997, Robin M. Chandler, “The New Movement of the Center: A Theoretical Model for Future Analysis in Art Worlds”, in Pheobe Farris-Dufrene, editor, Voices of Color: Art and Society in the Americas, Humanities Press, →ISBN, page 41

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe branch of anthropology that scientifically describes specific human cultures and societies.

Similar
descriptive anthropology

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe branch of anthropology that provides scientific description of individual human societies

Similar
descriptive anthropology

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swé
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*swe-dʰh₁-
  4. Proto-Hellenic*séswōtʰa
  5. Ancient Greekἔθω (éthō)
  6. Ancient Greekἔθνος (éthnos)
  7. Englishethno-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*gerbʰ-
  9. Proto-Hellenic*grə́pʰō
  10. Ancient Greekγρᾰ́φω (grắphō)
  11. Ancient Greekγραφή (graphḗ)
  12. Englishethnography

From ethno- + -graphy.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans etnografie
  • etnografiebranch of anthropology
Arabic عِلْم الإِنْسََان التَطْبِيقِيّ, إِثْنُوغْرَافِيَّا
  • عِلْم الإِنْسََان التَطْبِيقِيّ (ʕilm al-ʔinsaān at-taṭbīqiyy)branch of anthropology
  • إِثْنُوغْرَافِيَّا (ʔiṯnūḡrāfiyyā)branch of anthropology
Catalan etnografia
  • etnografiabranch of anthropology
Chinese Cantonese 民族誌 /民族志
  • 民族誌 /民族志 (man⁴ zuk⁶ zi³)branch of anthropology
Chinese Mandarin 民族誌 /民族志, 民族誌 /民族志
  • 民族誌 /民族志 (mínzúzhì)branch of anthropology
  • 民族誌 /民族志 (mínzúzhì)work
Czech etnografie
  • etnografiebranch of anthropology
Dutch etnografie
  • etnografiebranch of anthropology
Esperanto etnografio
  • etnografiobranch of anthropology
Finnish etnografia
  • etnografiabranch of anthropology
French ethnographie
  • ethnographiebranch of anthropology
German Ethnographie, Ethnografie
  • Ethnographiebranch of anthropology
  • Ethnografiebranch of anthropology
  • Völkerbeschreibungbranch of anthropology
Greek εθνογραφία
  • εθνογραφία (ethnografía)branch of anthropology
Hindi मानवजातिविज्ञान
  • मानवजातिविज्ञान (mānavjātivijñān)branch of anthropology
Hungarian néprajz, etnográfia
  • néprajzbranch of anthropology
  • etnográfiabranch of anthropology
Irish eitneagrafaíocht
  • eitneagrafaíochtbranch of anthropology
Italian etnografia
  • etnografiabranch of anthropology
Japanese 民俗誌学, 民俗誌
  • 民俗誌学 (minzokushigaku)branch of anthropology
  • 民俗誌 (minzokushi)branch of anthropology
Latvian etnogrāfija
  • etnogrāfijabranch of anthropology
Polish etnografia
  • etnografiabranch of anthropology
Portuguese etnografia
  • etnografiabranch of anthropology
Romanian etnografie
  • etnografiebranch of anthropology
Russian этногра́фия
  • этногра́фия (etnográfija)branch of anthropology
Spanish etnografía
  • etnografíabranch of anthropology
Tagalog talalahian
  • talalahianbranch of anthropology
Thai ชาติพันธุ์วรรณนา
  • ชาติพันธุ์วรรณนา (châat-dtì-pan-wan-ná-naa)branch of anthropology
Ukrainian етнографія
  • етнографія (etnohrafija)branch of anthropology
Vietnamese dân tộc ký, dân tộc chí
  • dân tộc kýbranch of anthropology
  • dân tộc chíbranch of anthropology
Yiddish עטנאָגראַפֿיע
  • עטנאָגראַפֿיע (etnografye)branch of anthropology

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with ethnography

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

ethnography. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnography

MLA

“ethnography.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnography. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ethnography,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnography.

Source: ethnography on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.