social welfare
Americannoun
noun
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the various social services provided by a state for the benefit of its citizens
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(capitals) (in New Zealand) a government department concerned with pensions and benefits for the elderly, the sick, etc
Etymology
Origin of social welfare
First recorded in 1915–20
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.
CPS workers—who are often referred to in low-income communities as “the family police”—are tasked with addressing social welfare needs after they’ve already lost the trust of families by intimidating and judging them during investigations.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
A senior presidential official has floated the idea of a "national dividend", arguing that excess AI-related tax revenue could be used to support social welfare programmes.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
“I call this the social welfare state of two. We’ve privatized dependency within marriage.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026
He cited a range of problems beleaguering the EU, including internal trade barriers and expensive social welfare programs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
And it was to those with a very high IQ, he believed, that “we must look for production of leaders who advance science, art, government, education and social welfare generally.”
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
