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

Detectives are asking for public assistance to help locate the 5-foot-7, 104-pound suspect.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

Thrown back into the job market, Curtis only received a handful of interviews from her 200 applications and ended up seeking public assistance like SNAP, Medicaid and unemployment benefits.

From Salon • May 3, 2025

She called the welfare department to have the family’s public assistance cut off, and then reported the violation to the Housing Authority, starting the eviction process.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson