Meaning & use
social contract
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Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
An idea that people agree, openly or silently, to follow shared rules and give up some freedom in return for order and protection.
Grammar: Usually singular with the: the social contract.
Patterns
- the social contract between something and something
- break the social contract
Under the social contract, citizens obey laws and the state protects their rights.
Philosophers have debated the social contract for centuries.
Many people feel the social contract has failed them.
nounusually singular
An informal understanding of what people in a community owe each other, such as fair pay for work or help in hard times.
Grammar: Used in news and politics to talk about fairness: a new social contract.
Patterns
- a new social contract
- the social contract between workers and employers
Workers say the social contract between employers and staff is broken.
The pandemic led to calls for a new social contract.
Paying taxes is part of the social contract.
Word forms
| plural | social contracts |
|---|
Common combinations
- break the social contract
- Corruption breaks the social contract between rulers and citizens.
- a new social contract
- Economists called for a new social contract after the crisis.
- the social contract between
- The social contract between generations is under strain.
- theory of the social contract
- The theory of the social contract shaped modern democracy.
- honor the social contract
- The government promised to honor the social contract.
Synonyms and how they differ
- agreement
- Agreement is general and can be any deal, while social contract refers to the basic arrangement of a whole society.
- compact
- Compact is a formal word for a mutual promise, but it does not carry the philosophical weight of social contract.
- covenant
- Covenant has religious overtones and suggests a solemn promise, while social contract is secular.
Opposites
Word family
- social adjective
- relating to society
- society noun
- a community of people living together
- contract noun
- a formal agreement
- contractual adjective
- relating to a contract
- contractor noun
- a person hired under a contract
Commonly confused: social contract or legal contract?
social contract vs legal contract
A legal contract is a written agreement enforceable in court, while a social contract is an idea about shared obligations.
Practice
What does the phrase social contract refer to?
Choose one answer.
The social contract is a theory of the shared agreement in society. The other options describe literal or casual agreements.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “social contract”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.