welfare state

American  

noun

1. a state in which the welfare of the people in such matters as social security, health and education, housing, and working conditions is the responsibility of the government.

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welfare state British  

noun

1. a system in which the government undertakes the chief responsibility for providing for the social and economic security of its population, usually through unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, and other social-security measures

2. a social system characterized by such policies

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welfare state ¹ Cultural  

1. An economic system that combines features of capitalism and socialism by retaining private ownership while the government enacts broad programs of social welfare, such as pensions and public housing.

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welfare state ² Cultural  

1. A state or government that promotes public welfare through programs of public health, pensions, unemployment compensation, public housing, and the like. The expression welfare state is often used by those hostile to government intervention in these areas.

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Etymology

Origin of welfare state

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

In any case, he says, “in modern welfare states, the struggle for subsistence has been abolished.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Foreign economists want Beijing to build a bigger welfare state to encourage more household spending.

From The Wall Street Journal

After Khomeini’s historic compromise and subsequent death, Iran entered the 1990s under Khamenei buoyed by economic growth, postwar reconstruction and the building of a welfare state with high levels of education and healthcare.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Let us continue united, advancing toward economic stability, social justice, and the welfare state we deserve to achieve!”

From The Wall Street Journal

It was only in the 1990s that Germany began to let its defense industry shrivel again as it diverted spending toward the welfare state.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• social democracy