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social contract
noun
: an actual or hypothetical agreement among the members of an organized society or between a community and its ruler that defines and limits the rights and duties of each
Examples of social contract in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For decades, work was governed by an unspoken social contract.
—Nirit Cohen, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Particularly when people are frequenting the same establishments regularly, tipping becomes a bit of a social contract between employees and customers, with good service and friendliness being rewarded.
—Joe Moglia, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
Our social contract offers many, many avenues to remedy these issues and allows sides to be heard and adjudicated.
—William Earl, Variety, 8 Oct. 2024
This new internet architecture, often referred to as web3, represents a new social contract.
—David Pakman, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for social contract
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'social contract.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1660, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near social contract
Cite this Entry
“Social contract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20contract. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Legal Definition
social contract
noun
so·cial contract
: an actual or hypothetical agreement among individuals forming an organized society or between the community and the ruler that defines and limits the rights and duties of each
More from Merriam-Webster on social contract
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about social contract
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