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Showing results for public assistance. Search instead for terrific assistance.
Synonyms

public assistance

American  
[puhb-lik uh-sis-tuhns] / ˈpʌb lɪk əˈsɪs təns /

noun

  1. government aid to poor, disabled, or aged people or to dependent children, as financial assistance or food stamps.


public assistance British  

noun

  1. payment given to individuals by government agencies on the basis of need

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • public-assistance adjective

Etymology

Origin of public assistance

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

Budget analysts have identified five categories that are driving up city spending: rental assistance, public assistance, the school system, city employee overtime and payments to the state-operated transit system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Meanwhile, low-income households that are eligible for public assistance with their home heating bills may not get that help until late December — after cold-weather demand begins.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 10, 2025

According to the National Association of Counties, 40 percent of home health aides live in low-income neighborhoods and rely on some form of public assistance; 30 percent of them are on Medicaid themselves.

From Salon • Jul. 29, 2025

A family with unpredictable earnings might qualify for public assistance one month and then breach the income threshold and be disqualified another.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2025

Data on weekly income, what they paid in rent, in utilities, if they were on public assistance, how long.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee