social contract

American  

[soh-shuhl kon-trakt] / ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˈkɒn trækt /

noun

1. the voluntary agreement among individuals by which, according to any of various theories, as of Hobbes, Locke, or Rousseau, organized society is brought into being and invested with the right to secure mutual protection and welfare or to regulate the relations among its members.

2. an agreement for mutual benefit between an individual or group and the government or community as a whole.

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social contract British  

noun

1. (in the theories of Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, and others) an agreement, entered into by individuals, that results in the formation of the state or of organized society, the prime motive being the desire for protection, which entails the surrender of some or all personal liberties

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Etymology

Origin of social contract

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

social contract

“It’s like a social contract to be a good human once you get in, because everybody’s been excited to be there,” said Audrey Fix Schaefer, the communications director for the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

"This is a sort of China-after-Mao moment," Vaez says, "in the sense that the system as a whole recognises that something's got to give. This new leadership understands that it needs a new social contract."

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

There is no social contract requiring aunts and uncles to divide their estates equally among their nieces and nephews, but unequal inheritances can still pack an unintentional emotional punch.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

Japan has an incredible social contract, and has handled the birth decline so much better than most countries would.

From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025

Amalgamation, centralized conflict resolution, decision making, economic redistribution, and kleptocratic religion don’t just develop automatically through a Rousseauesque social contract.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond