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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When an employee joins a startup, there’s a social contract of sorts. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 18 July 2025 The hypocrisies of our social contract are exposed in John Tottenham’s hilarious debut novel about a wage worker in a bookstore. Anahid Nersessian, The New York Review of Books, 3 July 2025 The country could now have a new social contract, one that prioritizes national security above everything else. Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2025 This social contract, this order, makes sense by being so ubiquitous. Literary Hub, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for social contract

Word History

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of social contract was in 1660

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Social contract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20contract. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!