civil servant

noun

Definition of civil servantnext
as in public servant
a worker in a government agency took the examination to become a civil servant in the defense department

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of civil servant The proposals are first subject to formal verification by civil servants and after which there is a final vote. — Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The newest proposal to plug them — a nondisclosure agreement that federal agencies may roll out to more than 2 million civil servants — is unlikely to improve matters. — Editorial, Boston Herald, 16 July 2026 Its senior leadership was appointed by the Hamas administration, while its hospitals and public health services were staffed largely by career doctors, medical workers, and civil servants. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 7 July 2026 Chloe Barker, a civil servant from West Yorkshire, England, traveled to Prague with a friend on June 26, per Kennedy News and Media. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for civil servant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil servant
  1. public servant
  2. clerk
  3. official
  4. employee
  5. worker
  6. bureaucrat
Noun
  • But, at the heart of it is what appears to be a very ugly feud between two public servants.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • This blatant fealty over objectivity perverts the process by choosing personal loyalists instead of independent public servants.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of public servant
Noun
  • But the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned the murder convictions this May and ordered a retrial, saying Colleton County’s then-clerk tainted the first trial with what the defense said was prejudicial comments to the jury.
    — Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • After the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh’s conviction for murdering his wife and son earlier this year -- citing jury tampering by the court clerk in the case -- Judge Debra McCaslin scheduled his retrial for April 5, 2027.
    — Janice McDonald, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of clerk
Noun
  • Fire officials said the fire appeared to be cooking-related, and investigators are still determining what caused it.
    — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The league will take its time to connect with stakeholders, including players, team officials and Players Association leadership.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of official
Noun
  • Instead, the Secretary of State's office sent four employees and the Attorney General's Office sent three attorneys to court.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But that line of reasoning did not resonate with the Service Employees International Union, which represents about 6,000 Sharp employees, 81 of whom received layoff notices Tuesday.
    — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of employee
Noun
  • The settlement will be paid by Hyundai Mobis, Kia and local staffing and recruitment agencies that helped find and bring the immigrant workers to Georgia on temporary visas.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • And in Pereira, a CNN team on the ground saw rescue workers and volunteers form a human chain to remove debris and help save those trapped from an apartment building.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of worker
Noun
  • This entails handing out thousands of patronage jobs to rabbis, bureaucrats, undertakers, and inspectors.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
  • No matter which, many families suffered much too much to let a lifelong federal bureaucrat take the Fifth Amendment 111 times.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of bureaucrat

Browse Nearby Words

civilly
civil servant
civil servants
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Civil servant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20servant. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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