WELFARE, noun [well and fare, a good faring; G.] 1. Exemption from misfortune, sickness, calamity or evil; the enjoyment of health and the common blessings of life; prosperity; happiness; applied to persons. 2. Exemption from any unusual evil or calamity; the enjoyment of peace and prosperity, or the ordinary blessings of society and civil government; applied to states.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI