Definitions

public assistance

[puhb-lik uh-sis-tuhns] / ˈpʌb lɪk əˈsɪs təns /

NOUN

aid to needy

Synonyms

WEAK

aid to dependent children aid to the blind food stamps government aid meal ticket old-age assistance public welfare relief relief payments social welfare welfare welfare aid welfare payments

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Budget analysts have identified five categories that are driving up city spending: rental assistance, public assistance, the school system, city employee overtime and payments to the state-operated transit system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Meanwhile, low-income households that are eligible for public assistance with their home heating bills may not get that help until late December — after cold-weather demand begins.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 10, 2025

All three consistently land at or near the top of lists of major corporations with significant shares of their workers collecting public assistance.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2025

Combined with threats to federal funding for public assistance, it has been too much for many of them to bear, she said.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2025

But she knew she couldn’t make it out on public assistance.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times