social contract
noun
: an actual or hypothetical agreement among the members of an organized society or between a community and its ruler that defines and limits the rights and duties of each
Examples of social contract in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What ultimately binds people to a city, or to a country, is a social contract that governs their lives.
—
Mina Al-Oraibi, Time, 14 Apr. 2026
To forge a new social contract is one thing.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Because the conditions in the original state of nature are fair, whatever social contract these proto-citizens come up with will be just.
—George G. Szpiro, Big Think, 9 Apr. 2026
And the whole social contract around the work of art is part of the experience.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for social contract
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Mina Al-Oraibi, Time, 14 Apr. 2026
To forge a new social contract is one thing.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Because the conditions in the original state of nature are fair, whatever social contract these proto-citizens come up with will be just.
—George G. Szpiro, Big Think, 9 Apr. 2026
And the whole social contract around the work of art is part of the experience.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for social contract
Cite this Entry
“Social contract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20contract. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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