social service
noun
plural social services
: a program or effort designed to promote human or societal well-being
specifically
: organized help for people who are in need of assistance with basic needs (such as food, housing, safety, or job training) or with medical needs (such as addiction or mental illness)
—usually plural
Most states are struggling with skimpy resources and a system of uncoordinated social services that is totally inadequate to serve a population of individuals whose needs are bottomless. —
Constance Holden
Constance Holden … attacked the idea of social services, claiming that the only entity entitled to provide care is the church, not the government. —Tori Otten
—often used before another noun Tori Otten social service agencies
Until the bridge's closure, the island hosted and supported social service programs including homeless shelters and an addiction recovery campus. —Ellie Wolfe
Ellie Wolfe Examples of social service in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pink collar jobs are rising in demand in healthcare, education, and social services and offer the chance to provide real impact in your work.
—Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Another $2 million award was pulled from a Detroit program that offers social services and job skills to young people in violent neighborhoods.
—Bram Sable-Smith, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
Soon after their parents die, a fluffy blue alien named Stitch lands in Hawaii as Nani struggles to balance her grief with the responsibility of raising her little sister amid the looming threat of social services.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 31 May 2025
What first started as a church filling a need in its community by providing shelter and grew into a a grassroots organization that neighbors in need turned to for a decade, has in recent months devolved into a dispute over tax codes, real estate and the role of religion in social services.
—Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2025
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Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Another $2 million award was pulled from a Detroit program that offers social services and job skills to young people in violent neighborhoods.
—Bram Sable-Smith, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
Soon after their parents die, a fluffy blue alien named Stitch lands in Hawaii as Nani struggles to balance her grief with the responsibility of raising her little sister amid the looming threat of social services.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 31 May 2025
What first started as a church filling a need in its community by providing shelter and grew into a a grassroots organization that neighbors in need turned to for a decade, has in recent months devolved into a dispute over tax codes, real estate and the role of religion in social services.
—Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for social service
Cite this Entry
“Social service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20service. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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