English · Word Candidate

welfare

/ˈwɛlˌfɛə/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: welfares · welfaring · welfared

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Health, safety, happiness and prosperity; well-being in any respect.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

sức khỏe, an toàn, hạnh phúc và thịnh vượng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer d

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Shortened form of "welfare spending", "welfare payments", or "welfare assistance".

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

chi tiêu, thanh toán hoặc hỗ trợ phúc lợi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

NounRegister: US, informal

Examples

Oliveira seems to suggest that the Jews of Kiryas Joel are somehow gaming the welfare system to fund their lifestyles, while simultaneously acknowledging the high poverty rates in the town that qualify residents for programs like Medicaid.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To provide with welfare or aid.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Cung cấp phúc lợi hoặc hỗ trợ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

welfaring the poor

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “welfare” mean?

Health, safety, happiness and prosperity; well-being in any respect.

Is “welfare” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.