Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “welfare” come from?

Welfare comes from Middle English welfare, from Old English wel faran, literally meaning "to fare well."

welfare (English): Health, safety, happiness and prosperity;...

Definitions

  1. Health, safety, happiness and prosperity;...

Ancestry of “welfare”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwelfare—
2Old Englishwel faranto fare well, get along successfully, prosper

Words derived from “welfare”

  • welfarism
  • welfarist
  • antiwelfare
  • postwelfare
  • prewelfare
  • welfare state
Every word from Old English wel faran →