American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition - n. Health, happiness, and good fortune; well-being. -
n. Prosperity. - n. Welfare work. - n. Financial or other aid
provided, especially by the government, to people in need. - n.
Corporate welfare. - idiom. on welfare Receiving regular
assistance from the government or private agencies because of
need. Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia - n. A state or
condition of doing well; prosperous or satisfactory course or
relation; exemption from evil; state with respect to well-being:
as, to promote the physical or the spiritual welfare of society;
to inquire after a friend's welfare; to be anxious about the
welfare of a ship at sea. - n. A source of well-being; a
blessing; a good. - n. uncountable Health, safety, happiness and
prosperity; well-being in any respect. - n. uncountable Various
forms of financial aid provided by the government to those who
are in need of it (abbreviated form of Welfare assistance). GNU
Webster's 1913 - n. Well-doing