social costnoun [ U ]
ukusSOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYa bad effect that a business, activity, etc. has on people, society, or the environment:
The social cost of the financial crisis has been unacceptably high.
The company has been keen to point out the social cost of a takeover - 10,000 to 12,000 jobs could go in the restructuring.