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
When humans speak, our words commit us in an implicit social contract.
—
Deb Roy, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2026
Advertisement But such social contracts are built over time and with much trial and error.
—Justin Worland, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
After the war, many Iranians hoped things would change and that the government would leverage the nationalistic rally around the flag to introduce a more tenable social contract with the populace.
—Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
There’s a kind of social contract under which utilities operate essentially as monopolies to provide a public service and in exchange are regulated.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for social contract
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Deb Roy, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2026
Advertisement But such social contracts are built over time and with much trial and error.
—Justin Worland, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
After the war, many Iranians hoped things would change and that the government would leverage the nationalistic rally around the flag to introduce a more tenable social contract with the populace.
—Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
There’s a kind of social contract under which utilities operate essentially as monopolies to provide a public service and in exchange are regulated.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 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 20 Feb. 2026.
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