Synonyms

community service

American

noun

Law.

a punitive sentence that requires a convicted person to perform unpaid work for the community in lieu of imprisonment.

community service British

noun

voluntary work, intended to be for the common good, usually done as part of an organized scheme
See community-service order

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

For Katya, a professional events organiser, the parties have stopped - and her world and life have been disrupted following the raid, trial and community service spent mopping hospital floors.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Lawyers for the defendants declined to comment but in court referenced the men’s community service, according to local reports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Another doctor, Mark Chavez, was ordered to be confined at home and told to do hundreds of hours of community service.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Fly tippers could face 20 hours of community service to clean their illegal dumps, and fines up to £300 for the offence.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

I have to have the supervisor guy sign off on each day of my community service.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023