social welfare

noun

: organized public or private social services for the assistance of disadvantaged groups
specifically : social work

Examples of social welfare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Denmark, on the other hand, is a social welfare state, largely funded by a progressive national income tax, which ensures universal access to healthcare. Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026 The entity identifies itself as a nonprofit social welfare organization under the federal tax code, a popular way to organize campaign spending that lets a group hide its donors. CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025 Soon after this year’s federal election, the German parliament amended the debt brake to allow for unlimited deficit spending on defense and avoid significant cuts in areas such as social welfare. Sudha David-Wilp, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025 Factory jobs are disappearing If health and social welfare jobs are the big winners this year among private-sector positions, manufacturing and white-collar services are the losers. Steve Kopack, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for social welfare

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of social welfare was in 1912

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Cite this Entry

“Social welfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20welfare. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.

Medical Definition

social welfare

noun
social wel·​fare -ˈwel-ˌfa(ə)r, -ˌfe(ə)r How to pronounce social welfare (audio)
: organized public or private social services for the assistance of disadvantaged groups
specifically : social work

More from Merriam-Webster on social welfare

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