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.

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

On Thursday, members of the community gathered at the Methodist Church for a community service following reports of the attack.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 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

An additional four officers entered into plea deals Tuesday that will end with their cases dropped after completing community service.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

“It has, on a few occasions, gone to a couple of students who’ve done a community service project together,” he answered, scratching his forehead.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

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