social contract
or social compact
noun
the voluntary agreement among individuals by which, according to any of various theories, as of Hobbes, Locke, or Rousseau, organized society is brought into being and invested with the right to secure mutual protection and welfare or to regulate the relations among its members.
an agreement for mutual benefit between an individual or group and the government or community as a whole.
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Origin of social contract
First recorded in 1840–50
Words nearby social contract
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for social-compact
social contract
social compact
noun
(in the theories of Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, and others) an agreement, entered into by individuals, that results in the formation of the state or of organized society, the prime motive being the desire for protection, which entails the surrender of some or all personal liberties
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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