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community service

community service

108 2.7
Unpaid work to help people in the local area, sometimes required by law or done for charity
  • noun
  • /kəˈmjunɪti ˈsɜrvɪs/
translation icon : servicio comunitario
  • Man, is this part of your community service or something?
  • a community service program
  • a community service project
  • community service work

So yeah, just got community service and and that was it.

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Examples

  • After his conviction, he was sentenced to perform 120 hours of community service at the local food bank.

  • In either case, they must have already completed six months of community service or volunteer work.

    Academic text (2015)
  • So yeah, just got community service and and that was it.

  • It's a federal crime, and I already had to do community service for.

  • But I do have my community service hours.

  • You two do four hours of community service.

  • So, maybe I could do like 40 hours of community service?

  • Require formal volunteer service in a structured community service program.

    Academic text (2015)
  • In high school, Pedro got involved in a community service program, an experience that has changed his life.

    Academic text (1990)
  • I'm just a big believer in community service.

Synonyms

volunteerism
vscommunity service
  • US
13 3.5

Giving time and help for free to support other people or causes

includes unpaid work that may be required by courts as punishment

How Involved

social work
14 3.0
mutual aid
  • Jargon
1 3.9
community service
108 2.7
volunteer
7 3.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

community + service

The meaning 'unpaid work to help people in a community' is directly and compositionally derived from 'community' (a group of people) + 'service' (work or assistance), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer 'service for the community'. While the specific legal-penalty sense (court-ordered hours) may require exposure, the basic concept is cross-linguistically common and immediately comprehensible from the constituents.

Etymology

Community service comes from the idea of doing a service for your community: imagine people cleaning a park, helping at a shelter, or fixing a neighbour's home without pay. That's why the phrase means 'unpaid work to help people', whether someone chooses it as charity or must do it as a punishment.