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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
There’s an implicit social contract to not only enter but to hold the door open for others.
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Ebony Flake, Essence, 31 Aug. 2024
The global social contract, therefore, has a second component of equal importance: the equitable distribution of medical countermeasures.
—
Lawrence O. Gostin, Scientific American, 19 June 2024
Saving rural psychiatry services will require higher Medicaid payments
Yet this social contract has broken down, and psychiatrists have taken to print to explain their distaste for working with insurers.
—
Richard G. Frank, STAT, 1 July 2024
The global social contract has two objectives: the open exchange of scientific information in real time, and the equitable allocation of medical countermeasures.
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Lawrence O. Gostin, Scientific American, 19 June 2024
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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 12 Sep. 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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