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Synonyms

social service

American  

noun

social services plural
  1. organized welfare efforts carried on under professional auspices by trained personnel.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of social service

First recorded in 1850–55

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.

“I think it can be very beneficial to share that eligibility data,” she said, and flag people for different social service programs based on their characteristics.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2025

He was speaking on behalf of the Sant'Egidio community, a movement of both lay people and clergy, committed to social service - and the priest was encouraging the students to embrace a pastoral mission.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2025

Although CPS is a social service agency, it has a lot of overlap with the criminal justice system.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2025

When he started out in Hull in the ’80s, Sibley said, police departments in the U.K. were already working to defer calls to social service agencies.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2024

They represented social service agencies in the United States and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau

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