the Foreign Service
noun
: a part of the U.S. State Department that hires people (such as diplomats) to represent the government in foreign countries
Examples of the Foreign Service in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Paint houses, pick up trash, pave our crappy roads, mentor other youths, clean up graffiti, plant flowers, join the National Guard or the Foreign Service.
—
Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
At Georgetown, Kuang intended to continue with debate before going to work in the Foreign Service.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
The American Foreign Service Association, which represents members of the Foreign Service, has also previously pushed back on the plans.
—Camilla Schick, CBS News, 10 July 2025
The change comes in response to the annual defense policy bill recently passed by Congress, which modified a portion of the Foreign Service Act to now allow the department to implement indefinite suspensions for foreign service employees.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 28 June 2025
The entrance exams to the Foreign Service are designed to weed out candidates rather than recruit the most talented ones.
—William J. Burns, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2020
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Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
At Georgetown, Kuang intended to continue with debate before going to work in the Foreign Service.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
The American Foreign Service Association, which represents members of the Foreign Service, has also previously pushed back on the plans.
—Camilla Schick, CBS News, 10 July 2025
The change comes in response to the annual defense policy bill recently passed by Congress, which modified a portion of the Foreign Service Act to now allow the department to implement indefinite suspensions for foreign service employees.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 28 June 2025
The entrance exams to the Foreign Service are designed to weed out candidates rather than recruit the most talented ones.
—William J. Burns, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2020
Cite this Entry
“The Foreign Service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Foreign%20Service. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
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