community service
- noun
- /kəˈmjunɪti ˈsɜrvɪs/
- 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.
- So yeah, just got community service and and that was it.
- So the judge gave him a big scolding and community service, but nothing ever happened to that.
- Again, for nonviolent instances, we will reduce jail expenses and at the same time provide supervised community service.
- And what we should do is people with drug habits, minor criminals, petty thiefs, they should be put on community service.
- Forged money, credit cards, selling drugs, robbing drug dealers, doing the community service.
- And, and because of the time spent, I got released, but got released with, you know, more conditions, more community service, more all these orders and stuff like that.
Examples
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After his conviction, he was sentenced to perform 120 hours of community service at the local food bank.
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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.
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It's a federal crime, and I already had to do community service for.
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But I do have my community service hours.
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You two do four hours of community service.
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So, maybe I could do like 40 hours of community service?
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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
Giving time and help for free to support other people or causes
How Involved
Surface Forms
Morphology
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.