social service

noun

plural social services

: a program or effort designed to promote human or societal well-being

specifically : organized help for people who are in need of assistance with basic needs (such as food, housing, safety, or job training) or with medical needs (such as addiction or mental illness)

—usually plural

Most states are struggling with skimpy resources and a system of uncoordinated social services that is totally inadequate to serve a population of individuals whose needs are bottomless.

—Constance Holden

… attacked the idea of social services, claiming that the only entity entitled to provide care is the church, not the government.

—Tori Otten

—often used before another noun

social service agencies

Until the bridge's closure, the island hosted and supported social service programs including homeless shelters and an addiction recovery campus.

—Ellie Wolfe

Examples of social service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Labor leaders say those sacrifices, coupled with deep staffing cuts in the 2010s, left agencies in social services, healthcare, public safety and other key fields unable to retain many workers. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026

Many working-class Latinas work in jobs that serve the community, such as in the childcare, elder care, teaching or social services sectors. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

This system consists of a nationwide network of multidisciplinary treatment teams providing medical care and connections to other health and social services. — Karyn Sporer, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026

The idea was bolstered in part by her other career in welfare and social services. — Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social service

• interservice
• disservice
• preservice
• nervous
• nervus