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

Students aimed to delegitimize Pichai's presence, reflecting a Gen Z trend to disengage from institutions perceived as breaking an implicit social contract, challenging corporate dissent management. — Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Now, here is the kicker: We Americans pride ourselves and conduct ourselves in our social contract with each other according to the rule of law. — Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 10 June 2026

Not whether dynamic pricing works, but how much dynamic pricing consumers are willing to accept before the retail social contract begins to change. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 May 2026

Countries like Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, and to a significant extent Saudi Arabia depend on oil exports to fund their governments, and their social contracts with citizens. — Judah Taub, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social contract

• overreact
• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact

Legal Definition

social contract

noun

so·​cial contract

: an actual or hypothetical agreement among individuals forming an organized society or between the community and the ruler that defines and limits the rights and duties of each