the civil service

noun

: the part of a government that takes care of the government's basic business : the administrative part of a government

—often used before another noun

a civil service employee

the civil service system

Examples of the civil service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Hilton had grown impatient as his radical vision for Cameron’s UK — decentralizing power, slashing the civil service — succumbed to political realities. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026

His dedication to the civil service had suffocated him over time, draining his hope and also impoverishing his lifestyle by a thousand cuts. — Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026

Unlike other senior government officials, the 48-year-old engineer did not rise through political parties, parliament or the civil service. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Mass federal workforce reductions also cut significant China expertise within the civil service, even while some China-specific offices were retained. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026

Rhymes for the civil service

• disservice
• preservice
• interservice
• nervous
• nervus