welfare state

NOUN

government taking social responsibility

Synonyms

STRONGEST

social democracy

WEAK

social services welfare statism

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.

If it is, the real consumption trade may start not in the mall, but in the welfare state.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

“I call this the social welfare state of two. We’ve privatized dependency within marriage.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

Despite the high service level of Denmark’s welfare state, Greenlanders’ health lags behind that of Danes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

Early on Monday, his government reached a budget agreement which he said was the only way to "guarantee the sustainability" of Belgium's welfare state.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

By this argument, belief in demonic magic ought not to have declined until there was a general improvement in living standards, and perhaps not until the development of the welfare state.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton