on relief

Idioms

Also, on welfare; on the dole. Receiving public financial assistance, as in Half the people in this town are on relief, or Don hated the idea of going on welfare. The first two terms originated in the United States in the 1930s, when government assistance of this kind was first instituted. On the dole, used mainly in Britain but occasionally in America, dates from the 1920s, although the use of dole for a charitable gift dates from about 1200.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Over the last two offseasons, the Dodgers spent a combined $141 million on relief pitchers Edwin Díaz and Tanner Scott, both of whom are expected to make their first spring training appearances later this week.

From Los Angeles Times

Many Goma residents previously relied on relief supplies delivered through the city’s international airport, but the rebels have shut the airport down, hobbling aid groups’ efforts to replenish depleted stocks.

From The Wall Street Journal

The committee singled out several local nonprofits, focused on relief and development for minorities and marginalized groups, for criticism.

From Los Angeles Times

“We’ve been receiving calls looking for missing persons all night. Many of them kept crying on the phone and couldn’t sleep,” said Cora Ip, a social worker working on relief efforts at one of the front-line shelter centers operated by the nonprofit Hong Kong Jockey Club.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Recording Academy announced that the 67th Grammy Awards, planned for Feb. 2 in Los Angeles, will go forward with a focus on relief efforts.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023