welfare state
noun
1
: a social system based on the assumption by a political state of primary responsibility for the individual and social welfare of its citizens
2
: a nation or state characterized by the operation of the welfare state system
Examples of welfare state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More generally, Europeans' personal happiness levels have seemingly gravitated away from church and children, the traditional sources of meaning, and toward a discomfiting positive correlation with the size of a nation's welfare state.
—
MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Support for the welfare state is really born in Finnish politics.
—Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Many wealthy countries boast higher unionization rates, stricter protections against being fired, and – particularly in Europe – more robust welfare states.
—Jeffrey C. Dixon, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
Instead, to protect their generous welfare states, their percentages of GDP spent on defense remain stuck at: Germany 1.9%, France 2.1% and the UK 2.3%, compared to 3.4% for the United States.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
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MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Support for the welfare state is really born in Finnish politics.
—Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Many wealthy countries boast higher unionization rates, stricter protections against being fired, and – particularly in Europe – more robust welfare states.
—Jeffrey C. Dixon, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
Instead, to protect their generous welfare states, their percentages of GDP spent on defense remain stuck at: Germany 1.9%, France 2.1% and the UK 2.3%, compared to 3.4% for the United States.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for welfare state
Cite this Entry
“Welfare state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/welfare%20state. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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