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

Harriet Wallace, who works for a Nashville social services agency, said police and firefighters were visiting homes to check on older adults whose relatives couldn't reach them by phone. —Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026

Her campaign came together quickly after Walz earlier this month abruptly ended his bid for a historic third consecutive, four-year term amid mounting scrutiny over his administration's handling of fraud in state social services programs, which prosecutors said could reach as high as $9 billion. —Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026

Those factors include the return of social services that declined during the pandemic, and fatigue from decades of bloodshed. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026

Council was in the dark Centralina is one of 16 regional councils of government in the state that assist with dispersing federal and state money into communities for economic development, social services and other community needs. —Dan Kane january 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social service

• interservice
• disservice
• preservice
• nervous
• nervus