civil servant

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

Relevance

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 Emmanuel Marre | Belgium | 155 min Cannes Best Screenplay winner A MAN OF HIS TIME stars ANATOMY OF A FALL’s Swann Arlaud as a Vichy civil servant whose faith in government collapses amid collaboration, bureaucracy, and moral surrender. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026 The federal government had also been squeezing the region economically, by withholding funds needed to pay Tigray’s civil servants and limiting access to banks and fuel, according to the TPLF. — Alemayehu Fentaw Weldemariam, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026 Set in the summer of 1970, the story turns on the diligent civil servant Heikki who decides to host a high-ranking Soviet diplomat at his family’s lakeside cottage. — Annika Pham, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026 Experts say the Houthis have struggled to pay salaries to civil servants, including public sector doctors and diverted most tax revenues to their military wing. — Fatma Khaled, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for civil servant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil servant
Noun
  • During his funeral last year, he was described as a selfless colleague, dedicated public servant and someone who regularly volunteered for the most dangerous assignments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Nonprofit leaders on Thursday said the administration's decision to drop the appeal will provide relief to many public servants.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In August 2023, Bangs offered LaGrone an earlier plea agreement under which he would have been sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to a record in the district clerk’s file.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said that the clerks who didn't comply with the government's demands could face prosecution as well.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Federal officials contend the voters’ citizenship must be verified before their ballots are counted and requested that the ballots be set aside.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Last week, a federal appeals court declined to order California officials to set aside those ballots.
    — Austin Turner, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Early returns also showed voters favoring Measure A, which would establish binding arbitration for sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and other public safety employees who by law cannot go on strike.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Mauldin, chair of the city’s Planning Commission and an employee of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, emphasized responsible growth, affordable housing and improvements to roads, public transit and utilities.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • An ex-Garden Grove police sergeant kidnapped and assaulted a co-worker, an Orange County prosecutor says.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Xavier Becerra grew up in Sacramento’s Hollywood Park, the son of a union construction worker and parents who grew up in Mexico, packed into a 700-square-foot house with his three sisters.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Politicians can seize headlines, bureaucrats can push papers, and voters can dig into local hegemony.
    — David Bloomfield, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
  • When courts signal to those same bureaucrats that fees won't be awarded, noncompliance costs them literally nothing.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Civil servant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20servant. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!