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

But there’s another group of people who love AI—which is politicians who want to exert their will without having to go through a permanent civil service. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026

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

In her Friday ruling, Thurston acknowledged that the procedure for challenging a termination set out in federal civil service rules leaves probationary employees like Joslin with very limited recourse when a decision goes against them. — ABC News, 14 June 2026

This new designation without civil service protections would make workers more vulnerable to political pressure. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 8 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