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

This new designation without civil service protections would make workers more vulnerable to political pressure. —Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 8 June 2026

The White House on Wednesday moved to strip civil service protections from about 8,000 federal workers, including many working at public health agencies. —Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 3 June 2026

According to Finance Department records, the number of civil service positions has increased 23% between fiscal years 2017-18 and 2024-25. —William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 5 May 2026

Hiring processes are governed by countywide civil service rules, which limit how quickly departments can recruit and onboard employees. —Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 4 May 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