dole

IPA/dəʊl/
KK[dˈol]IPA/dəʊl/

dole — noun

1. a regular payment from the government that people receive when they have no job

1.nounB1
Definition

a regular payment from the government that people receive when they have no job and are looking for work

Example

After the factory closed, Ziad went on the dole while looking for a new job.

collocation: go on the dole

The government raised the dole by two hundred dollars a month last year.

Common collocations
  • on the dole
  • go on the dole
  • live on the dole
  • sign on for the dole
  • claim the dole
  • be on the dole
Synonyms
  • unemployment benefit

    more formal and neutral; used internationally in official contexts

  • welfare

    broader term covering various government assistance; more common in American English

  • jobseeker's allowance

    official UK government term that replaced 'unemployment benefit' in the 1990s

Grammar Patterns

the dole

on the dole

claim the dole

Usage Note

Almost always preceded by the definite article ('the dole'). This term is common in British, Australian, and New Zealand English; American English prefers 'unemployment benefits' or 'unemployment insurance.'

Common Mistakes

He has been on dole for six months.
He has been on the dole for six months.
'the dole' always requires the definite article.
They receive dole from the state.
They receive the dole from the state.
same rule: the article is mandatory.

2. a small amount of food, money, or other useful items given to people who are ver

2.nounB2
Definition

a small amount of food, money, or other useful items given to people who are very poor, usually on a regular basis as an act of charity

Example

The church handed out a weekly dole of bread and milk to families in need.

pattern: a weekly dole of + noun

After the earthquake, the relief group distributed a daily dole of rice and clean water.

Common collocations
  • a dole of bread
  • a dole of food
  • weekly dole
  • daily dole
  • hand out a dole
  • distribute a dole
Synonyms
  • handout

    more informal and sometimes carries a negative tone

  • alms

    very formal or religious in tone; now rare outside historical contexts

  • charity

    broader term; can refer to the act or the organisation, not just the items

Grammar Patterns

a dole of [item]

Usage Note

This sense is somewhat old-fashioned in modern English. It typically appears with 'of' to specify the items being given (e.g., 'a dole of rice'). The phrase 'on the dole' belongs to sense 1 (unemployment payment), not this sense.

Common Mistakes

The charity gave dole of food.
The charity gave a dole of food.
this sense is countable and needs an article.
She is on the dole' (intending charitable aid).
Reserve 'on the dole' for sense 1 (government unemployment payment).
Idioms

Bob Dole

idiom

Robert Joseph Dole (1923–2021), an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas and was the Republican Party's nominee for president in the 1996 election

Bob Dole was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997 for his military and public service.

In the 1996 presidential race, Bob Dole lost the election to the incumbent, Bill Clinton.

Sanford Ballard Dole

idiom

Sanford Ballard Dole (1844–1926), an American jurist who served as president of the Republic of Hawaii (1894–1900) and later as the first governor of the Territory of Hawaii (1900–1903)

Sanford Ballard Dole became president of Hawaii in 1894 after the monarchy was overthrown.

As territorial governor, Sanford Ballard Dole helped shape Hawaii's early legal system under U.S. rule.

dole — verb

Word family

  • dole out
    phrasal verbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Dole' is an informal term, most common in British English, for the regular government payment to people without work. 'Unemployment benefit' is the neutral, formal term used internationally in official contexts. 'Welfare' is broader — it covers various government assistance programs — and is more common in American English. 'Jobseeker's allowance' is the specific name the UK government introduced in 1996 to replace the older 'unemployment benefit.' 'Social security' in American English includes pensions and disability payments as well as unemployment, so it is not limited to jobless people. For example, a British person might say 'He's been on the dole for a year,' while an American would more naturally say 'He's been collecting unemployment benefits.'

dole ↗unemployment benefit ↗welfare ↗jobseeker's allowancesocial security

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word comes from Old English 'dāl' (a share or portion), related to Old Norse 'deild' and German 'Teil' (part). In Middle English it became 'dool,' referring to a portion of money or goods given out. The specific sense of 'unemployment benefit' appeared in the early 20th century, when local parish 'doles' — regular charitable distributions to the poor — became a model for state-run unemployment support. The verb form 'dole out' emerged in the 14th century with the meaning 'to divide into portions.'

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2 Verb