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

The sites have been underutilized since the 2023 bankruptcy of Sacramento Self-Help Housing, the organization that had provided property management and social services. —Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 14 Nov. 2025

It was given ownership of rights of the Grier Heights site by Thompson Child and Family Focus, which provides mental health and social services for children and their families. —Charlotte Observer, 13 Nov. 2025

Their role is especially crucial in neighborhoods where barriers to health care and social services are more pronounced. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 12 Nov. 2025

As the cost of living rises, people are ultimately left in greater need of resources from social services, neighbors, family members and community groups. —Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social service

• interservice
• disservice
• preservice
• nervous
• nervus