social service

noun

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of social service

: an activity designed to promote social well-being; specifically : organized philanthropic assistance (such as counseling, job training, or financial support)

It operates like a mall with specialty shops, treating students like customers, or the adult clients of a social service, rather than as young people in need of an education for a worthy life.
—Joseph Featherstone

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

—often used before another noun

social service agencies

a social service project

Recent Examples of social service from the Web

Public health and government agencies use census figures to plan social service programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

— marta induni, STAT, "Adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census would be disastrous for public health," 13 Apr. 2018
Kiri feels rooted in a series of recent British cases involving the appalling deaths of children who were known to social services, and who should have been protected.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "Kiri Is a British Import Worth Watching," 12 Apr. 2018
Harris, who serves as Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s adviser on homelessness and social services, filed Friday to run for the Orange County Commission in District 4, which includes Waterford Lakes, Lake Nona and south Orange.

— steven lemongello, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lori Harris kicks off Orange Commission bid," 11 Apr. 2018
The 58-year-old club also collects backpacks for social services, raises money for the food bank, awards scholarships to Newington students and raises thousands of dollars for the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, club president Mike Turgeon said.

— kathleen mcwilliams, Courant Community, "Newington Rotary Club Funds Construction Of New Pavilion For Churchill Park," 3 Apr. 2018
Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury has been a vocal opponent of the idea, saying the cost is too high and that Wapato is too far away from social services, grocery stores and other amenities.

— molly harbarger, OregonLive.com, "Portland developer offers to turn Wapato Jail into homeless shelter as current offer comes to vote," 3 Apr. 2018
Those lawsuits seek compensation for millions of dollars that the counties spent on social services, courts, law enforcement, health services and emergency care in responding to the opioid epidemic.

— don behm, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee County sues prescription drug-makers and distributors behind the opioid crisis," 14 Mar. 2018
So now Brochu will have to perform a cushy 200 hours of community service, with 50 of those hours at a literacy organization in Greater Hartford and another 50 at a social services group.

— breanna edwards, The Root, "College Student Who Smeared Bodily Fluids on Black Roommate’s Belongings Receives Special Probation to Avoid Criminal Record. How Not Shocking," 12 Mar. 2018
Clinicians add a number of assets to interactions with the mentally ill, including social skills, access to medical records unavailable to police, and connections to housing and social services, police and health officials note.

— zolan kanno-youngs, WSJ, "Police Have a New Tool in Their Arsenal: Mental-Health Professionals," 9 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'social service.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.