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

Cutting back on generous, bloated social services, reducing some 400 federal agencies, etc., will be unpopular and politically hazardous. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2025

With federal and state governments cutting back the amount of money nonprofits have received in the past, billionaire and corporate donations are becoming lifesavers for those who depend on social service agencies to live comfortably. —Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025

The Legislature was unwilling to accept the deep cuts to social services Newsom proposed to bridge the gap and, while a formal vote was held on June 15, the final budget remains in flux ahead of the July 1 start of the fiscal year. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 June 2025

In contrast, traditional shelters often put a significant amount of their funding toward social services. —Spencer Norris, ProPublica, 24 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social service

• interservice
• disservice
• preservice
• nervous
• nervus