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What is the definition of welfare?

welfare

 [wel-fair]   Example Sentences Origin

wel·fare

   [wel-fair]
noun
1.
the good fortune, health, happiness, prosperity, etc., of a person, group, or organization; well-being: to look after a child's welfare; the physical or moral welfare of society.
2.
welfare work.
3.
financial or other assistance to an individual or family from a city, state, or national government: Thousands of jobless people in this city would starve if it weren't for welfare.
4.
(initial capital letter) Informal. a governmental agency that provides funds and aid to people in need, especially those unable to work.
Idiom
5.
on welfare, receiving financial aid from the government or from a private organization because of hardship and need.

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Welfare is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English, from phrase wel fare. See well1, fare

Related forms
an·ti·wel·fare, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To welfare
Example Sentences
  • His welfare is of my concern.
  • She became active in campaigning against land mines and in favor of animal welfare.
  • Organic farming is not just about pesticides and animal welfare.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
welfare (ˈwɛlˌfɛə)
 
—n
1.  health, happiness, prosperity, and well-being in general
2.  a.  financial and other assistance given to people in need
 b.  (as modifier): welfare services
3.  Also called: welfare work plans or work to better the social or economic conditions of various underprivileged groups
4.  informal chiefly (Brit) the welfare the public agencies involved with giving such assistance
5.  chiefly (US), (Canadian) on welfare in receipt of financial aid from a government agency or other source
 
[C14: from the phrase wel fare; related to Old Norse velferth, German Wohlfahrt; see well1, fare]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

welfare
O.E. wel faran "condition of being or doing well," from wel (see well (adv.)) + faran "get along" (see fare (v.)). Cf. O.N. velferð. Meaning "social concern for the well-being of children, the unemployed, etc." is first attested 1904. Welfare state is recorded from 1941.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

welfare definition


Government-provided support for those unable to support themselves. In the United States, it is undertaken by various federal, state, and local agencies under the auspices of different programs, the best known of which are Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and food stamps.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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