welfare state

noun

Definition of welfare state

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

supporters of the welfare state

Recent Examples on the Web

Sweden, known for its generous welfare state and status as a peaceful haven for recent migrants from the Middle East and North Africa, is again debating how best to integrate and support them. — Los Angeles Times, "In Sweden, ASAP Rocky, and a country’s identity, stand trial," 6 Aug. 2019 That society had been based on the assumption that a stable equilibrium between liberty and equality could and should be achieved through economic growth and an expanding welfare state administered at the national level. — Mario Del Pero, Washington Post, "How the 1970s spawned democracy’s current crisis," 1 Aug. 2019 Expecting it simultaneously to act as an arm of the welfare state, redistributing from young to old, never made much sense. — The Economist, "Rich over-75s will no longer get the BBC for nothing. Good," 14 June 2019 The measure represents a crucial fault-line in the welfare state, where the competing incentives of the health and social care systems rub against one another, says Jon Glasby, a social-care expert at the University of Birmingham. — The Economist, "How the NHS got better at freeing up beds," 1 Aug. 2019 How the high-tax countries pay The Nordic countries, the ones that Sanders and many progressives love to point to as economically sustainable and expansive welfare states, have a tax system that’s far different from the one in the US today. — Matthew Zeitlin, Vox, "Can Elizabeth Warren build a bigger welfare state without taxing the middle class?," 2 July 2019 Get our daily newsletter Geography, history, political culture, the electoral system, the structure of the economy and the welfare state all argue for optimism. — The Economist, "Looking aheadThe election in October will be a test of Canada’s liberal values," 25 July 2019 For the Left, however, reparations are merely the icing on the existing cake of admissions preferences, minority-contracting requirements, and an eternally expanding welfare state. — Graham Hillard, National Review, "The Other Case against Reparations," 22 July 2019 Orwell thought of the poor as decent people, but he’d be baffled to observe today that the welfare state has created a class of layabouts who, liberated from economic anguish, shackle themselves to screens, drugs, alcohol. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "What Would Orwell Think of Us?," 11 June 2019

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

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2 Sep 2019

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The first known use of welfare state was in 1894

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More Definitions for welfare state

welfare state

noun

English Language Learners Definition of welfare state

: a social system in which a government is responsible for the economic and social welfare of its citizens and has policies to provide free health care, money for people without jobs, etc. also : a country that has such a system

See the full definition for welfare state in the English Language Learners Dictionary