the social
noun
British, somewhat informal
: money provided by a government program to people who are unable to work because they are old, disabled, or unemployed
He's living on the social now.
Examples of the social in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But having dodged the traps of the social media news era, The Economist now faces looming long-term structural challenges that may be more difficult to avoid.
—
Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
And later this year, the first of hundreds of lawsuits brought by school districts against the social media companies is also set to go to trial.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Given such an entry into the world, any individual might get ideas above his station—particularly if, as was the case with young Andrew, the second in line to the throne after his brother Charles, there were only two positions in the social hierarchy that were actually above his station.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the social media company Meta was under scrutiny this week as its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, testified at a landmark trial in Los Angeles.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the social
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
And later this year, the first of hundreds of lawsuits brought by school districts against the social media companies is also set to go to trial.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Given such an entry into the world, any individual might get ideas above his station—particularly if, as was the case with young Andrew, the second in line to the throne after his brother Charles, there were only two positions in the social hierarchy that were actually above his station.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the social media company Meta was under scrutiny this week as its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, testified at a landmark trial in Los Angeles.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the social
Cite this Entry
“The social.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20social. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
