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

San Diego County’s social services could soon be expanding into a new frontier — primary care. —Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025

Mamdani’s team draws from across social services, finance, city budgeting, and housing development. —Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025

The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025

Mamdani’s success may owe more to demographic and workforce changes in NYC, where there are fewer finance-sector employees, more social services and healthcare workers, and fewer families. —Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social service

• interservice
• disservice
• preservice
• nervous
• nervus