Anthropolojia ni fani ya elimu inayochunguza pande zote binadamu kuanzia wale wa kale. Matawi yake mbalimbali yanachunguza maisha ya jamii, utamaduni pamoja na taratibu na tunu, athari ya lugha, mabadiliko ya kimwili n.k. Kwa vyovyote, anthropolojia inahitaji ushirikiano wa sayansi mbalimbali, ikiwemo teolojia. Akiolojia inaweza kutazamwa kama sehemu ya anthropolojia (k.mf. Marekani ) au ya historia, lakini pia kama fani ya pekee (k.mf. Ulaya). Jina linatokana na neno la Kiingereza anthropology lililotumika mara ya kwanza kwa Kilatini mwaka 1593 kuhusiana na historia.[ Asili yake ni maneno mawili ya Kigiriki, ἄνθρωπος, ánthrōpos "mtu") na λόγος, lógos, "neno, somo, elimu"). Anthropolojia ya Kimarekani anthropology. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Iliwekwa mnamo 10 August 2013. anthropology. Encyclopedia Britannica. Iliwekwa mnamo 23 March 2015. What is Anthropology?. American Anthropological Association. Iliwekwa mnamo 10 August 2013. Haviland, William A.; Prins, Harald E. L.; McBride, Bunny; Walrath, Dana (2010), Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge (13th ed.), Cengage Learning, ISBN 0-495-81082-7  Oxford English Dictionary, 1st ed.