1.nounUse of numerical data to inform social programs.
"Using social engineering, the new cardinal has efficiently re-arranged the Church's outreach."
2.nounEfforts to influence attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, in order to produce desired characteristics in a target population.
3.nounThe practice of tricking a user into giving, or giving access to, sensitive information, thereby bypassing most or all protection.
"After our hacking attempts failed, we tried social engineering, walking into the building and claiming we had to do some urgent work in the server room."