question: Purpose: The article considers social entrepreneurship as a tool for ensuring social security - a promising option for solving various problems of modern society (unemployment, including vulnerable groups of the population, social adaptation, personal self-realization, selfsufficiency, etc.). Design/Methodology/Approach: The authors highlight the need to create the necessary prerequisites for expanding the business activity of social entrepreneurship through the implementation of scientifically sound and well-formulated state incentive policy Findings: the results of the analysis of the terminological field of social entrepreneurship are presented. Practical Implications: a clear understanding of the economic boundaries of social entrepreneurship will create an adequate legal framework for its functioning and form criteria for referring to it for the possibility of participating in competitive and grant projects to obtain extra funding. Originality/Value: in the context of social security, the problem of social entrepreneurship has not been previously studied, while it has significant potential in light of the need to improve the quality of life of citizens (especially complicated by the negative consequences of the spread of the coronavirus infection COVID-19), which, of course, is an essential component of social security.