# interdisciplinary

/ˌɪntɝˈdɪsəpɫəˌnɛɹi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/interdisciplinary
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. combining academic subjects

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

involving two or more different subjects or areas of study.

For teachers: involving or relating to more than one academic discipline; typically used to describe research or teaching that integrates multiple fields.

- The university offers an interdisciplinary course that combines history and computer science.
- The research team adopted an interdisciplinary approach, merging insights from behavioral psychology and economics to better understand consumer habits.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it modifies.

Teaching tip: This term is very common in university settings. While 'multidisciplinary' means several subjects are present, 'interdisciplinary' implies they are actually working together or blending.

## Examples

- The university offers a new interdisciplinary course on climate change.
- Solving the city's traffic problems required an interdisciplinary team of engineers, urban planners, and sociologists.
- The research project adopted an interdisciplinary approach, blending historical archival work with modern data science to map the evolution of urban migration patterns over three centuries.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.