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Definitions

social engineering

[soh-shuhl en-juh-neer-ing] / ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˌɛn dʒəˈnɪər ɪŋ /

NOUN

applied social science

Synonyms

WEAK

social planning social work sociology

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.

Earlier this month, North Korean hackers drained roughly $285 million from Drift Protocol after a monthslong social engineering campaign.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

"Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated social engineering tactics to deceive customers, often impersonating trusted institutions to gain access to information and account," the company said.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

So far, the most common use of AI for hacking has been social engineering.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

The ramifications of the lost data could leave Americans susceptible to blackmail, coercion, social engineering or impersonation because the Social Security Administration has so much private and personal data, Borges said.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026

Node:social engineering, Next:social science number, Previous:SO, Up:= S = social engineering n.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.