social welfare
Americannoun
noun
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the various social services provided by a state for the benefit of its citizens
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(capitals) (in New Zealand) a government department concerned with pensions and benefits for the elderly, the sick, etc
Etymology
Origin of social welfare
First recorded in 1915–20
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.
Leaders have also signalled a willingness to borrow more to fund infrastructure, social welfare, and industrial projects - a departure from past caution over rising debt levels.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
One of the grievances cited was that of Astor, the professor of social welfare, who describes himself as both a Zionist and a “pro-peace researcher.”
From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025
The top priorities are boosting domestic demand and supporting social welfare, while property market stabilization has slipped down the agenda.
From Barron's • Dec. 12, 2025
Her Morena party, with strong backing from poor and working-class Mexicans who have benefited from minimum-wage increases and social welfare programs, retains firm control of Congress, the courts and most statehouses across Mexico.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2025
Helmuth graduates, and May finds him working at the Bieberhaus, the social welfare department at the City Hall.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
