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

Back in 2020, the University of California system dropped SAT and ACT test scores from admissions decisions in pursuit of social engineering instead of academic achievement. —Adam B. Summers, Oc Register, 11 June 2026

And while a lot of attention has been given to AI models’ ability to exploit technical vulnerabilities, there’s been less conversation about the risks around social engineering—using psychology to manipulate people into giving attackers data or access. —Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 June 2026

This backward-looking approach fails entirely against novel attack vectors like synthetic identity creation and deepfake social engineering. —Ethan Stone, USA Today, 11 May 2026

More than 75% of cybercrime now stems from scams and social engineering tactics like these, according to Bednowitz's testimony before a House Financial Services subcommittee in September 2025. —Mike Winters, CNBC, 9 May 2026

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