Anthropology is a broad, holistic field that seeks to understand human adaptation to natural and social environments. It is the most humanistic science and most scientific study of humanity.

The holistic part comes from the four subfields of anthropology which are biological (physical) anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology; these four subfields allow for the study of all aspects of humanity. These subfields also encompass a variety of sub-disciplines including genetics, primatology, anatomy, biochemistry, language development and evolution, behavioral studies, and historical archaeology. Anthropology provides unique methodologies and theoretical perspectives in systematically examining and understanding the human condition and experience. As an interdisciplinary pursuit, anthropology incorporates and draws upon diverse fields and areas of research such as human anatomy and physiology, folklore, biology, geography, geology, history, psychology, and zoology.