social contract

[ soh-shuhl kon-trakt ]

noun

1. the voluntary agreement among individuals by which, according to any of various theories, as of Hobbes, Locke, or Rousseau, organized society is brought into being and invested with the right to secure mutual protection and welfare or to regulate the relations among its members.
2. an agreement for mutual benefit between an individual or group and the government or community as a whole.

social contract

noun

1. (in the theories of Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, and others) an agreement, entered into by individuals, that results in the formation of the state or of organized society, the prime motive being the desire for protection, which entails the surrender of some or all personal liberties

Word History and Origins

Origin of social contract¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

This is a kind of social contract between individual and state.

From BBC

SNP ministers defend such universal benefits as forming a "social contract" with citizens, which they say improve the nation's wellbeing and productivity in the long-term.

From BBC

Rev Kinyanjui goes further, underlining what he sees as the fragility of the social contract with Kenya’s youth.

From BBC

That is the ostensible basis for mutual trust and respect among the parties to the social contract.

From Salon

Second, I note that America can survive the century if we renegotiate our social contract.

From Salon