social insurance

noun

: protection of the individual against economic hazards (such as unemployment, old age, or disability) in which the government participates or enforces the participation of employers and affected individuals

Examples of social insurance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Mass parties, labor unions, public schools, strikes and boycotts, social insurance, minimum-wage laws, state banks and currency reform, antitrust regulation, income taxes, even economic planning: these were the new priorities, the material resources of freedom. Corey Robin, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2023 Another figure reveals the change in the unfunded liabilities of our social insurance programs. Scott Burns, Dallas News, 3 Aug. 2023 Audi and Volkswagen are offering 24 months of credit protection services at no charge only to individuals for whom the following information was impacted: Driver’s license number; date of birth; Social Security or social insurance number; account or loan number; or tax identification number. Andy Meek, BGR, 14 June 2021 Some experts have suggested, instead, the creation of a new line of social insurance, perhaps funded through payroll taxes as Social Security is, to provide a minimum level of service available to everyone. New York Times, 15 Apr. 2021 Sunak on Wednesday announced a package of measures to reduce the squeeze on consumers, including a cut in motor fuel taxes, more money for local government aid to low-income residents and raising the threshold at which workers begin to pay social insurance taxes. Danica Kirka, ajc, 24 Mar. 2022 Even Haley’s proposal to increase the retirement age and means test benefits won’t sit well with millions of Americans who count on and support these two universal social insurance programs that have done so much to alleviate the challenges of old age. Julian Zelizer, CNN, 9 Mar. 2023 The second dispels many of the myths that confuse many Americans about our social insurance program. Tom Margenau, Dallas News, 25 Dec. 2022 Writing on Weibo, economist Ren Zeping called for immediate policies to encourage birth such as subsidies for childbirth, inclusion of fertility treatment in social insurance and better guarantees of employment for women. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'social insurance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of social insurance was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near social insurance

Cite this Entry

“Social insurance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20insurance. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Legal Definition

social insurance

noun
: insurance of the individual against certain hazards (as unemployment, old age, and disability) that is undertaken, facilitated, or enforced by government

More from Merriam-Webster on social insurance

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