welfare

English Online Dictionary. What means welfare‎? What does welfare mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English welefare, probably from the Old English phrase wel faran (“to fare well, get along successfully, prosper”) (cognate with Middle Dutch welvare (“welfare”), Middle Low German wolvare (“welfare”), Middle High German wolvar, wolfar (“welfare”)). Equivalent to well +‎ fare. Compare also West Frisian wolfeart, Dutch welvaart, German Wohlfahrt, Old Norse velferð (whence Swedish välfärd (“welfare”)).

The first recorded use in the sense of "social concern for the well-being of children, the unemployed, etc." is from 1904 and in the sense of "organized effort to provide for maintenance of members of a group" from 1918.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɛlˌfɛə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɛlˌfɛɚ/

Noun

welfare (usually uncountable, plural welfares)

1. (uncountable) Health, safety, happiness and prosperity; well-being in any respect.
2. (uncountable, chiefly US) Various forms of financial aid provided by the government to those who are in need of it.

   Synonyms: (UK) welfare assistance, income support, public assistance, social security

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

welfare (third-person singular simple present welfares, present participle welfaring, simple past and past participle welfared)

1. (transitive) To provide with welfare or aid.

   welfaring the poor

See also

References

Further reading

• “welfare”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• "welfare" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 332.

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English welfare.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɛlˌfɛr/
• Rhymes: -ɛr

Noun

welfare m (invariable)

1. welfare state

Synonyms

stato sociale, benessere

References