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.

Much of the evidence circulating online about Haredi dependence on public assistance comes from reporting I helped produce as founder of the activist organization Yaffed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 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

Yet millions of their workers, including many employed full time, have to rely on public assistance, as the Government Accountability Office reported in 2020.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 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