welfare

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noun wel·fare \ ˈwel-ˌfer \

Definition of welfare

1 :the state of doing well especially in respect to good fortune, happiness, well-being, or prosperity

must look out for your own welfare

2 a :aid in the form of money or necessities for those in need

b :an agency or program through which such aid is distributed

See welfare defined for English-language learners

See welfare defined for kids

Examples of welfare in a Sentence

He wants to do away with welfare.
I have your welfare at heart.
The welfare of all the orphans was at stake.
She donates to organizations concerned about animal welfare.

Recent Examples of welfare from the Web

And those who can’t still receive the welfare — food, shelter, health insurance — that people are often stigmatized for accessing on the outside.

— max londberg, kansascity, "Dark rituals? Orgies? See the reality of a hippie commune deep in Missouri’s Bible Belt," 27 Aug. 2017
Bloomberg Intelligence: Provident Financial Isn’t Canary in Coal Mine; Vanquis a Concern Provident serves 2.4 million customers, many of them unemployed or on welfare.

— stephen morris, Bloomberg.com, "U.K. Subprime Lender Plunges More Than 70%," 22 Aug. 2017
During a press conference, Trump claimed the legislation would stop new migrants from immediately collecting welfare.

— politifact, Teen Vogue, "4 Times Trump and His Cabinet Have Lied About Immigration," 16 Aug. 2017
Or maybe Thanks A Million was simply one conservative’s effort to encourage a private alternative to welfare.

— jacqui shine, Longreads, "Percy Ross Wants to Give You Money!," 20 July 2017
The Rev. Peterson Mingo, the pastor at Christ Temple Church, said the school is an important place for young people looking for direction, or a way to get out of welfare.

— dana branham, Cincinnati.com, "Evanston neighborhood to get big makeover from local companies," 18 July 2017
A key component of the 1996 welfare reform bill, the work requirement applies to able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) between the ages of 18 to 49.

— jennifer g. hickey, Fox News, "Food stamp rolls plummet in states that restore work requirements," 4 July 2017
Military costs could be cut substantially on both sides of the 38th parallel, allowing the money to be funneled to other areas that lack sufficient investment, like social welfare.

— jiyeun lee, Bloomberg.com, "A World Apart: The Two Koreas and Six Decades of Separation," 29 June 2017
The $1.1 trillion plan would include more military spending than President Trump requested in his budget proposal, and would significantly decrease funding for various welfare programs.

— robert newhouse, Teen Vogue, "Sign Honoring Emmett Till Defaced in Mississippi," 27 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of welfare

Middle English, from the phrase wel faren to fare well

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

welfare Synonyms

Synonyms

good, interest, weal, well-being

Antonyms

ill-being

Related Words

fortune, prosperity, prosperousness, success, successfulness; fitness, health, healthiness, robustness, soundness, wellness, wholeness, wholesomeness; bliss, felicity, happiness, joy; advantage, benefit, gain, sake; content, contentedness, gratification, satisfaction

Near Antonyms

unhealthiness, unsoundness; misery, sadness, suffering, unhappiness, wretchedness

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

welfare

adjective

Definition of welfare

1 :of, relating to, or concerned with welfare and especially with improvement of the welfare of disadvantaged social groups

welfare legislation

2 :receiving public welfare benefits

welfare families

First Known Use of welfare

1886

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

WELFARE Defined for English Language Learners

welfare

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noun

Definition of welfare for English Language Learners

: a government program for poor or unemployed people that helps pay for their food, housing, medical costs, etc.
: the state of being happy, healthy, or successful