social security
Americannoun
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Usually Social Security a program of old-age, unemployment, health, disability, and survivors insurance maintained by the U.S. federal government through compulsory payments by specific employer and employee groups.
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the theory or practice of providing economic security and social welfare for the individual through government programs maintained by funds from public taxation.
noun
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public provision for the economic, and sometimes social, welfare of the aged, unemployed, etc, esp through pensions and other monetary assistance
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(often capitals) a government programme designed to provide such assistance
Etymology
Origin of social security
First recorded in 1930–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Both rich and poorer countries are grappling with declining birth rates which lead to aging societies and a shrinking workforce -- putting strain on social security systems and potentially dampening economic growth and productivity.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Beijing’s Five-Year Plan emphasizes public well-being and social security, signaling a shift towards structural reforms.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
The slice of the population claiming social security support because of a disability is rising across the UK but the increase is quicker in Scotland where disability benefits are designed to be easier to access.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
"I hate it," says David McQueen, retired Vietnam veteran who depends on social security for his livelihood.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
She was a fifty-four-year-old widow living off a small pension and social security with five kids still left to raise.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
