social security
Americannoun
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Usually Social Security a program of old-age, unemployment, health, disability, and survivors insurance maintained by the U.S. federal government through compulsory payments by specific employer and employee groups.
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the theory or practice of providing economic security and social welfare for the individual through government programs maintained by funds from public taxation.
noun
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public provision for the economic, and sometimes social, welfare of the aged, unemployed, etc, esp through pensions and other monetary assistance
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(often capitals) a government programme designed to provide such assistance
Etymology
Origin of social security
First recorded in 1930–35
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.
Beijing’s Five-Year Plan emphasizes public well-being and social security, signaling a shift towards structural reforms.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
The social security budget in particular is swelling - it was £7.4bn this year and is forecast to hit £9.2bn by 2030-31.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
State pensions in most of Europe remain more generous than U.S. social security, reducing the incentive to build nest eggs in the market.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
The regularisation, he adds, "will allow me to work and contribute to the social security system."
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026
We would get our social security numbers and green cards three months after our arrival in the States.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
