community service

American  

noun

Law.

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

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community service British  

noun

1. voluntary work, intended to be for the common good, usually done as part of an organized scheme

2. See community-service order

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Example Sentences

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

The incident landed her with a two-year driving ban, as well as 100 hours of community service and up to 30 rehabilitation sessions.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 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

With each passing year, it seemed that the work Mary loved and the community service that gave her life meaning were becoming one and the same.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly