foreign service
noun
: the field force of a foreign office comprising diplomatic and consular personnel
Examples of foreign service in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In response, that foreign service officer was reassigned to Chad.
—
Sarah Harrison, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2023
In response to criticism following USA TODAY’s investigation, Peace Corps director Carol Spahn noted that federal law does not allow foreign service workers to be suspended without pay while under investigation.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 14 July 2023
But with whom? Russell plays Kate Wyler, who has spent her life in the military and foreign service and is days away from a new high-stakes posting in Kabul when she’s summoned by the president (Michael McKean, in a juicy guest role) to serve as ambassador to the United Kingdom.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2023
That is more foreign service officers killed by vehicles at home than have died overseas this year, noted Langenkamp’s husband, Dan, a foreign service officer himself.
—Alicia Parlapiano, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2022
Herve Irion works for the U.S. State Department in the foreign service.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 29 Mar. 2022
Raffi Balian is a career foreign service officer who currently serves as division chief for Multilateral Affairs at the Office of Environmental Quality.
—Jennifer R. Littlejohn, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2023
From her teenage years as the daughter of a U.S. foreign service officer stationed in Baku, Azerbaijan to her corporate ascent as a yuppie at an energy company in Texas, Bunny reckons with her reliance on resources that may cause irreparable damage to the planet.
—Time, 31 July 2023
Helping with immigration issues and other challenges, its members supplement and compete with India’s understaffed corps of around 950 foreign service officers — a fraction of the roughly 16,000 who work for the United States.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 18 July 2023
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Sarah Harrison, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2023
In response to criticism following USA TODAY’s investigation, Peace Corps director Carol Spahn noted that federal law does not allow foreign service workers to be suspended without pay while under investigation.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 14 July 2023
But with whom? Russell plays Kate Wyler, who has spent her life in the military and foreign service and is days away from a new high-stakes posting in Kabul when she’s summoned by the president (Michael McKean, in a juicy guest role) to serve as ambassador to the United Kingdom.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2023
That is more foreign service officers killed by vehicles at home than have died overseas this year, noted Langenkamp’s husband, Dan, a foreign service officer himself.
—Alicia Parlapiano, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2022
Herve Irion works for the U.S. State Department in the foreign service.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 29 Mar. 2022
Raffi Balian is a career foreign service officer who currently serves as division chief for Multilateral Affairs at the Office of Environmental Quality.
—Jennifer R. Littlejohn, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2023
From her teenage years as the daughter of a U.S. foreign service officer stationed in Baku, Azerbaijan to her corporate ascent as a yuppie at an energy company in Texas, Bunny reckons with her reliance on resources that may cause irreparable damage to the planet.
—Time, 31 July 2023
Helping with immigration issues and other challenges, its members supplement and compete with India’s understaffed corps of around 950 foreign service officers — a fraction of the roughly 16,000 who work for the United States.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 18 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foreign service.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1799, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near foreign service
Cite this Entry
“Foreign service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreign%20service. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on foreign service
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about foreign service
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