welfare
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the general health, happiness, and safety of a person or a group.
n.the state of doing well, especially in respect to good fortune, happiness, or health. Uncountable in this abstract sense.
Simple“The police are concerned about the welfare of the children living in that house.”
In context“The university has a dedicated officer responsible for the welfare of international students, ensuring they have access to mental health resources and housing advice.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'of'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.money or help given by the government to people who are poor, sick, or unemployed.
n.financial assistance or social services provided by the state to those in financial or social need.
Simple“Many families relied on welfare to pay for food after the factory closed down.”
In context“The senator proposed a series of reforms to the welfare system, aiming to increase the monthly allowance for single-parent households.”
UsageIn British English, 'benefits' is more common for the financial payments themselves.
Teacher's tipIn the US, 'on welfare' can sometimes carry a negative social stigma; 'social safety net' is a more neutral alternative in academic contexts.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to provide someone with the help or money they need to live.
v.to provide with welfare or social assistance. This transitive use is relatively rare in modern general-service English.
Simple“The agency was created to welfare those displaced by the natural disaster.”
In context“The non-profit organisation sought to welfare the local population by establishing sustainable food programmes and mobile medical clinics.”
UsageTakes a direct object representing the person or group receiving aid.
Usage welfare bill · welfare system · welfare concerns
“We are aware of a number of Australians in the area and Australian officials are urgently working to confirm their welfare.”
“As of 2023, the highest risks of child welfare system contact were among American Indian/Alaska Native and Black children, and the lowest risks were among Asian children.”
From Middle English welefare, probably from the Old English phrase wel faran (“to fare well, get along successfully, prosper”) (cognate with Middle Dutch welvare (“welfare”), Middle Low German wolvare (“welfare”), Middle High German wolvar, wolfar (“welfare”)). Equivalent to well + fare. Compare also West Frisian wolfeart, Dutch welvaart, German Wohlfahrt, Old Norse velferð (whence Swedish välfärd (“welfare”)). The first recorded use in the sense of "social concern for the well-being of children, the unemployed, etc." is from 1904 and in the sense of "organized effort to provide for maintenance of members of a group" from 1918.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.