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

Etymology

Origin of public assistance

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Budget analysts have identified five categories that are driving up city spending: rental assistance, public assistance, the school system, city employee overtime and payments to the state-operated transit system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 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

Combined with threats to federal funding for public assistance, it has been too much for many of them to bear, she said.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2025

"We need public assistance to come forward and help identify those two people," Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2024

They’ll decide if you’re desperate enough for the public assistance or if you’re sick enough to see a doctor.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt