# social engineering

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Use of numerical data to inform social programs.
2. Efforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, in order to produce desired characteristics in a target population.
3. The practice of tricking a user into giving, or giving access to, sensitive information, thereby bypassing most or all protection.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/social-engineering