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
The slump in private sector jobs is drawing people to the civil service.
—
Anniek Bao, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
Over her nearly two decades in the civil service, Walls noted the state has taken various measures to reduce payroll costs, including furloughs and restructuring retirement benefits.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 26 Nov. 2025
My father was a bureaucrat, a member first of the Indian Civil Service and then, after Partition, of the civil service of Pakistan.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Next comes the fun of trying to reform the civil service with shady Blaine fighting them at every turn.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the civil service
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Anniek Bao, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
Over her nearly two decades in the civil service, Walls noted the state has taken various measures to reduce payroll costs, including furloughs and restructuring retirement benefits.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 26 Nov. 2025
My father was a bureaucrat, a member first of the Indian Civil Service and then, after Partition, of the civil service of Pakistan.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Next comes the fun of trying to reform the civil service with shady Blaine fighting them at every turn.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the civil service
Cite this Entry
“The civil service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20civil%20service. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
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