Meanings
- uncountablehuman sciencesUse of numerical data to inform social programs.
The following discussion will use two examples - namely public housing and the social security scheme, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) - to illustrate the effects of distributing the fruits of economic development via social engineering projects.
2006, Johnny Sung, Explaining the Economic Success of Singapore, →ISBN2 more examples
In 1961, Russell Kirk provided a distillation of these conservative salvos against social engineering in a more public forum. In The New York Times Magazine, the political scientist and regular National Review columnist cited Pitirim Sorkin's call in Fads and Foibles for a balancing of the scientific method with older humanistic modes of inquiry as evidence that mainstream sociologists had become scientistic "true believers," rejecting "humanitarian" models of inquiry in favor of that which could be measured and tabulated.
2008, David Haney, The Americanization of Social Science, →ISBN, page 188In other words, we note that the social engineering model of knowledge utilization research is burdened with the outdated maxim of "technology as applied science". Accepting the possibility of intermediary professions, we get the "real" social engineering model, entailing an independent analytic profession, as an alternative to the enlightenment model with its romantic dichotomy between theory and practice.
2012, S.A. Cropper, Michael C. Jackson, Paul Keys, Operational Research and the Social Sciences, →ISBN, page 155 - uncountablepolitical scienceEfforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, in order to produce desired characteristics in a target population.
Madness, from this point of view, is not finally a medical phenomenon at all, but a phenomenon of social engineering, manipulation, and coercion, and of the politically motivated labeling of deviant behavior.
1995, Daniel Berthold-Bond, Hegel's Theory of Madness, →ISBN, page 1793 more examples
From one perspective, much of what goes on in every society's day-to-day operations qualifies as social engineering. One can view child rearing, schooling, military indoctrination and any other means of mobilizing bias as social engineering without doing violence to the concept.
1996, Adam Podgórecki, Jon Alexander, Rob Shields, Social Engineering, →ISBN, page 9China's Golden Shield has long been a byword for internet censorship. Although easily circumvented, its main purpose is to encourage citizens' self-censorship, a large-scale social engineering project of some success.
2010 January 13, Tim Stevens, “China's cyberwar goes beyond Google”, in The GuardianThere are certain types of social engineering that represent possible dangers. For example, you may not be aware that your ideas are being intentionally manipulated and, on another level, the manipulation itself could be dangerous.
2013, Brian Taylor, No More Suffering Fools, →ISBN, page 175 - uncountablecomputer securityThe practice of tricking a user into giving, or giving access to, sensitive information, thereby bypassing most or all protection.
Meronyms: smishing, phishing, vishing
3 more examples
TEISME can teach employees on how to recognise a possible social engineering attack.
2005, Charles A. Shoniregun, Impacts and Risk Assessment of Technology for Internet Security, →ISBN, page 157To attack your organization, social engineering hackers exploit the credulity, laziness, good manners, or even enthusiasm of your staff.
2012, Greg Gogolin, Digital Forensics Explained, →ISBN, page 132The main reason social engineering takes place is because it is easier to gain access to a trusted source by simply manipulating someone who can give you access instead of breaking in through technological means.
2014, Robert Shimonski, Cyber Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Defense, →ISBN, page 85
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of social engineer
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 數據社會學 /数据社会学, 社會工程 /社会工程
- 數據社會學 /数据社会学use of numerical data
- 社會工程 /社会工程 (shèhuì gōngchéng)efforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale
- 社交工程practice of tricking a user
- 社會工程學 /社会工程学 (shèhuìgōngchéngxué)practice of tricking a user
Czech sociální inženýrství, sociální inženýrství
- sociální inženýrstvíuse of numerical data
- sociální inženýrstvíefforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale
- sociální inženýrstvípractice of tricking a user
Finnish tiedon hyödyntäminen, asennekasvatus
- tiedon hyödyntäminenuse of numerical data
- asennekasvatusefforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale
- sosiaalinen manipulointipractice of tricking a user
- käyttäjän manipulointipractice of tricking a user
German Social Engineering, Social Engineering
- Social Engineeringefforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale
- Social Engineeringpractice of tricking a user
Greek κοινωνική μηχανική, κοινωνική μηχανική
- κοινωνική μηχανική (koinonikí michanikí)use of numerical data
- κοινωνική μηχανική (koinonikí michanikí)efforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale
- κοινωνική μηχανική (koinonikí michanikí)practice of tricking a user
Indonesian rekayasa sosial, rekayasa sosial
- rekayasa sosialuse of numerical data
- rekayasa sosialefforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale
- rekayasa sosialpractice of tricking a user
Irish innealtóireacht shóisialta, innealtóireacht shóisialta
- innealtóireacht shóisialtause of numerical data
- innealtóireacht shóisialtaefforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale
- innealtóireacht shóisialtapractice of tricking a user
Polish inżynieria społeczna, inżynieria społeczna
- inżynieria społecznause of numerical data
- inżynieria społecznaefforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale
- inżynieria społecznapractice of tricking a user
Portuguese engenharia social
- engenharia socialpractice of tricking a user
Russian социальная инженерия
- социальная инженерия (socialʹnaja inženerija)practice of tricking a user
Spanish ingeniería social, ingeniería social
- ingeniería socialuse of numerical data
- ingeniería socialefforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale
- ingeniería socialpractice of tricking a user
Cite this entry
social engineering. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/social%20engineering
“social engineering.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/social%20engineering. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “social engineering,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/social%20engineering.
Source: social engineering on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.