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

Those with humanitarian statuses such as refugees and people granted asylum are no longer eligible, with the state department of social services estimating that 72,000 Californians will lose their benefits. — Lizzie Kane july 11, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2026

The impact could extend beyond traditional services and affect important community programs, including mental health resources, after-school programs, homelessness initiatives, and other social services that support our most vulnerable residents. — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026

The long-standing problem is that Skid Row is both a social service center and a mecca of drugs and other vices, with traps on every block. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

In their first shift, on the afternoon and evening of July 1, officials contacted 1,300 people to help with support and placement in shelter, according to Erin Dalton, the city's social services commissioner. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social service

• interservice
• disservice
• preservice
• nervous
• nervus