welfare state
noun
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.
welfare states
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pluralof welfare state.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
That’s how most of Europe’s welfare states work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Perhaps, but during the Cold War western European societies had younger populations and far more slim-line welfare states.
From BBC ● May 3, 2025
There's been an ongoing sense of crisis about the amount of resources that European countries are pouring into their welfare states, especially as the populations age.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2023
They favored strong trade unions and welfare states with generous education and health care systems.
From New York Times ● Sep. 29, 2021
Western European welfare states have come about by active participation of Christian and Social Democrats.
From Definition & Reality in the General Theory of Political Economy by Thomas Colignatus
