Skip to the word

Added 8 October 2026

welfare

/ˈwɛlˌfɛə/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about welfare at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need.
she lives on welfare
Something that aids or promotes well-being.
for the benefit of all
A contented state of being happy and healthy and prosperous.
the town was finally on the upbeat after our recent troubles

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word