social engineering

noun

1

: management of human beings in accordance with their place and function in society : applied social science

2

: social methods (such as phishing) that are used to obtain personal or confidential information which can then be used illicitly

The previously noted trend of switching from social engineering to hacking methods in attacks on organizations strengthened …

—San Fernando Valley (California) Business Journal

social engineer noun

plural social engineers

Examples of social engineering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With humans at the center of security strategies, organizations can better address the root causes of many security incidents, such as phishing attacks, social engineering and insider threats. —Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

Coinbase — Shares fell 7.2% after the digital currency platform said hackers bribed staff to steal customer data for use in social engineering attacks. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 15 May 2025

Customer support scams, often displaying fake phone numbers while pretending to be legitimate help services, are evolving and exploiting victims through a combination of social engineering and web vulnerabilities, Google warned. —Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025

This reduces your exposure and helps prevent future phishing or social engineering attacks. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for social engineering

• bioengineering
• adhering
• appearing
• careering
• cohering
• endearing
• inhering
• prehearing
• rehearing
• veneering
• cheering
• clearing

Kids Definition

social engineering

noun

1

: management of human beings in accordance with their place and function in society : applied social science

2

: social methods (such as phishing) that are used to obtain personal or confidential information which can then be used illicitly