social engineering

noun

1

: management of human beings in accordance with their place and function in society : applied social science

2

: social methods (such as phishing) that are used to obtain personal or confidential information which can then be used illicitly

The previously noted trend of switching from social engineering to hacking methods in attacks on organizations strengthened …

—San Fernando Valley (California) Business Journal

social engineer noun

plural social engineers

Examples of social engineering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cybersecurity Solutions Alone Too many organizations spend money on cybersecurity solutions while neglecting to educate their employees about scams, social engineering tactics and proper data handling practices. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts told CNBC that AI tools can be used to enhance phishing and social engineering scams, helping to write more personalized and human-like messages. —Dylan Butts, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025

Instead of relying on social engineering tricks to get users to grant permissions like most banking trojans or spyware, this malware hides inside seemingly legitimate apps and slips past Apple and Google’s security checks. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 13 Feb. 2025

The big picture: The campaign highlights the risks of social engineering and reliance on outdated identity systems. —Sam Sabin, Axios, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for social engineering

• bioengineering
• adhering
• appearing
• careering
• cohering
• endearing
• inhering
• prehearing
• rehearing
• veneering
• cheering
• clearing

Kids Definition

social engineering

noun

1

: management of human beings in accordance with their place and function in society : applied social science

2

: social methods (such as phishing) that are used to obtain personal or confidential information which can then be used illicitly