social engineering

American  

[soh-shuhl en-juh-neer-ing] / ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˌɛn dʒəˈnɪər ɪŋ /

noun

1. Political Science. the manipulation of social beliefs and behaviors by public or private entities through legislation, policy, and investment.

2. a technique that uses psychological manipulation, fraud, or dishonesty to force people to disclose private personal or corporate information, or to take a particular action.

   Hackers are using social engineering to perpetrate phishing scams.

---

social engineering British  

noun

1. the manipulation of the social position and function of individuals in order to manage change in a society

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• social engineer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of social engineering

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

So far, the most common use of AI for hacking has been social engineering.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

The ramifications of the lost data could leave Americans susceptible to blackmail, coercion, social engineering or impersonation because the Social Security Administration has so much private and personal data, Borges said.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026

They used social engineering tricks to get access to the powerful internal control panel at the site.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

It has demonstrated over the centuries a deep faith in human betterment through liberal reformism and social engineering.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

Household engineering is the great need for material welfare, and social engineering for moral and ethical well-being.

From Euthenics, the science of controllable environment a plea for better living conditions as a first step toward higher human efficiency by Richards, Ellen H.