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

How Early Action Can Yield High ROI Research consistently shows that addressing mental health in childhood yields a high return on investment, reducing costs in healthcare, social services and lost productivity later in life. —Dr. Ritu Goel, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Geriatric care managers are generally people with medical and social services training (usually nurses and social workers) who have particular expertise in creating care plans that cover medical interventions and the creation of everyday life routines and supports for people with particular needs. —R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025

Bronx native Rose Afriyie, co-founder of mRelief, explained how the national organization is transforming access to social services with easier-to-use protocols and is leveraging AI to help millions of people sign up for SNAP benefits. —Freya Drohan, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2025

The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. —Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social service

• interservice
• disservice
• preservice
• nervous
• nervus