civil service

noun

: the administrative service of a government or international agency exclusive of the armed forces

especially : one in which appointments are determined by competitive examination

Examples of civil service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are more than 108,000 state workers statewide, with about 40% of the state’s civil service workforce working in the capital region. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026

But after more than eight years of devout civil service, Jonas lost that fulfilling federal job. — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 July 2026

Its logic points to the idea that all administration functions—not just independent agencies but possibly also the professional civil service—are an inherent part of the executive power and must be brought under the control of the president. — George Thomas, The Atlantic, 30 June 2026

The office houses a variety of civil services, including the sheriff's office. — David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1770, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for civil service

• interservice
• disservice
• preservice
• nervous
• nervus

Kids Definition

civil service

noun

: the branch of a government that takes care of the business of running a state but that does not include the lawmaking branch, the military, or the court system