social welfare

American  

noun

1. social services provided by a government for its citizens.

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social welfare British  

noun

1. the various social services provided by a state for the benefit of its citizens

2. (capitals) (in New Zealand) a government department concerned with pensions and benefits for the elderly, the sick, etc

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Etymology

Origin of social welfare

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

social welfare

CPS workers—who are often referred to in low-income communities as “the family police”—are tasked with addressing social welfare needs after they’ve already lost the trust of families by intimidating and judging them during investigations.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

“Replacing a hard metric like growth with softer goals such as improving business confidence or social welfare is easier said than done,” said Lizzi Lee, a fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

At UCLA, the master’s of social welfare — which runs for eight quarter sessions — amounts to more than $65,000 for California residents without financial aid.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026

"A lot of people live outside the job market, many receive social welfare assistance or disability pensions. So we need jobs and opportunities," she said.

From Barron's ● Dec. 20, 2025

And it was to those with a very high IQ, he believed, that “we must look for production of leaders who advance science, art, government, education and social welfare generally.”

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell