public assistance

American  

[puhb-lik uh-sis-tuhns] / ˈpʌb lɪk əˈsɪs təns /

noun

1. government aid to poor, disabled, or aged people or to dependent children, as financial assistance or food stamps.

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public assistance British  

noun

1. payment given to individuals by government agencies on the basis of need

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Other Word Forms

• public-assistance
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of public assistance

First recorded in 1900–05

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public assistance

Unforeseen events could eventually leave them dependent on public assistance, re-creating the kind of poverty that Social Security was designed to prevent after the Great Depression.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

On March 6, 1971, a few thousand people marched down the Las Vegas Strip, clogging the glitzy artery through which the city’s money flowed, to protest cuts to public assistance for the poor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

Meanwhile, low-income households that are eligible for public assistance with their home heating bills may not get that help until late December — after cold-weather demand begins.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2025

Detectives are asking for public assistance to help locate the 5-foot-7, 104-pound suspect.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025

But she knew she couldn’t make it out on public assistance.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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