government cheese

noun

A poor-quality processed cheese, similar to regular American cheese, produced and stored in the 1970s and 1980s from excess dairy milk production from dairy subsidies, created by the U.S. government to support the milk industry, and for long term storage.

“Near-synonym: largesse”

Similar
rat-trap cheeserat cheeselargesse
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Meanings

noungovernment cheese (uncountable)
  1. UShistoricaluncountablefoodA poor-quality processed cheese, similar to regular American cheese, produced and stored in the 1970s and 1980s from excess dairy milk production from dairy subsidies, created by the U.S. government to support the milk industry, and for long term storage.
  2. UShistoricaluncountablefoodProcessed cheese provided to welfare and food stamp recipients in the United States during the 1980s and early 1990s (coming from such stocks).
  3. USexcessivehumorousuncountableAny inexpensive unexceptional cheese.

    Eww, no. Don't be putting that government cheese on my sandwich! Give me the havarti!

    Synonyms: rat-trap cheese, rat cheese

  4. USbroadlyuncountableeconomicsWelfare in general.

    Near-synonym: largesse

    Synonyms: largesse

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny inexpensive unexceptional cheese.

Similar
rat-trap cheeserat cheese

nounWelfare in general.

Similar
largesse
Also see
american cheeserat-trap cheese
Cite this entry
APA

government cheese. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/government%20cheese

MLA

“government cheese.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/government%20cheese. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “government cheese,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/government%20cheese.

Source: government cheese on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.