welfare
Americannoun
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the good fortune, health, happiness, prosperity, etc., of a person, group, or organization; well-being.
to look after a child's welfare; the physical or moral welfare of society.
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financial or other assistance to an individual or family from a city, state, or national government.
Thousands of jobless people in this city would starve if it weren't for welfare.
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(initial capital letter) a governmental agency that provides funds and aid to people in need, especially those unable to work.
idioms
noun
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health, happiness, prosperity, and well-being in general
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financial and other assistance given to people in need
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( as modifier )
welfare services
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Also called: welfare work. plans or work to better the social or economic conditions of various underprivileged groups
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informal the public agencies involved with giving such assistance
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in receipt of financial aid from a government agency or other source
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of welfare
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from phrase wel fare; equivalent to well 1 + fare
Explanation
Your welfare is your happiness and well being. Parents are usually in charge of their children's welfare, making sure they're healthy, happy and well fed. Welfare is a state of content or prosperous existence. So if something bad happens, your welfare is threatened. Welfare can also refer to a government system designed to give money, food, and resources to the poor. Welfare systems have been around since ancient Roman times, but the U.S. welfare program didn't start until the 1930's, during the Great Depression.
Vocabulary lists containing welfare
Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (1787)
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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"On Women's Right to Vote" by Susan B. Anthony
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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.
The video has since prompted outrage from neighbors and an investigation by postal officials and animal welfare authorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Predictions that AI would kill half of all white-collar jobs or create a permanent class of unemployed welfare dependents were always far-fetched.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
He ended decades of political dominance by dynastic parties and envisioned a national welfare state modelled on the Islamic golden age of the seventh to 14th centuries, a flourishing period in the Muslim world.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
He said: "If there's any restrictions that stop them getting their lambs and breeding sheep to market, it's going to have a real big ongoing impact financially and on welfare."
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
She looked more like a Ralph Lauren model than a child welfare worker.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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.
