national assistance
- noun
- /ˈnæʃənl əˈsɪstəns/
- UK
:
asistencia nacional
- After losing his job, he applied for national assistance to support his family.
Examples
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She relied on national assistance when her pension was not enough to cover her expenses.
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The government increased national assistance during the pandemic.
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The introduction of national assistance helped reduce poverty across the country.
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Many families rely on national assistance to meet their basic needs.
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After losing his job, he applied for national assistance to support his family.
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She relied on national assistance when her pension was not enough to cover her expenses.
-
The government increased national assistance during the pandemic.
Synonyms
685
1.2
A payment from the government or an employer to help people who need money
18
2.5
Government help for people who need money or basic services
16
2.5
Money the government gives to people who need help to pay basic living costs
1
3.2
Money the government gives to people or families who have little money
A government payment that adds money to a person's income to reach the legal minimum
How Universal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase directly composes 'national' (provided by the national government) with 'assistance' (support), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer it means government-provided support or benefits. The specific legal nuance about ensuring a statutory minimum income may need context, but the core meaning is transparently derivable from the constituents and is cross-linguistically common.
Etymology
The phrase national assistance comes from the simple idea that national means the whole country and assistance means 'help', so the country gives help to people in need. That's why it means government 'benefits' that make sure people have a set minimum income.