1
as in official
a person who holds a public office
the new governor made a vow that he would always remember why he was called a public servant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in civil servant
a worker in a government agency
concerned that the new federal agency would just add another slew of public servants to the government payroll
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 public servant
Tisch, heiress to the Loews family fortune, is a career public servant who previously served as commissioner for the sanitation department and the city’s chief technology officer.
—
Mark Morales, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
Those pursuing the popular Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which leads to debt erasure for public servants after a decade, also typically need to be enrolled in an IDR plan.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2025
What public servants in Washington (and beyond) wear to work is generally pretty intentional.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2025
San Diego has lost not only a skilled public servant but a true ally for mental health.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for public servant
Mark Morales, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
Those pursuing the popular Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which leads to debt erasure for public servants after a decade, also typically need to be enrolled in an IDR plan.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2025
What public servants in Washington (and beyond) wear to work is generally pretty intentional.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2025
San Diego has lost not only a skilled public servant but a true ally for mental health.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for public servant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public servant
Noun
-
Due to the barricade situation, additional agents were called to the scene, officials said.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Federal officials and family members confirmed Wednesday that Rummler was issued a citation for disorderly conduct — a misdemeanor — after the shooting.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Without explicit training, civil servants risk assuming that a system that writes like an expert also counts like one.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
And to mirror that successful PC Home Reform policy from the 90s, the Prime Minister this year supported a Swedish AI Reform scheme that makes agentic AI free for all civil servants, students, teachers, research institutions, and non-profits.—
Oscar Täckström,
Fortune,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And on Tuesday, Joan Bracci, the county’s chief financial officer, stressed that DROP will create new costs for the county.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Sutherland, 59, was arrested shortly after midnight when officers responded to the scene near Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood, according to LAPD officer Kevin Terzes.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As part of the deal with McFadden, prosecutors dropped a felony charge of embezzlement by a clerk or agent, along with an enhancement that alleged aggravating circumstances.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has also repeatedly lashed out over the state’s incarceration of Tina Peters, the former county clerk convicted of state felonies related to her attempts to prove discredited election conspiracies shared by the president.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Beyond potential political resistance, implementing the name changes saddles campus administrators with costly and time-consuming busywork, including updating legal documents, maps and physical signage.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Hospital administrators immediately put Hannah in a secluded room with someone at the door to keep all visitors out.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Universities have long balked at the idea that their athletes are employees in some way.—
ANDREW DESTIN,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
-
At the time of his arrest, Willis a probationary employee for the GCSO, per the agency's news release.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The project will serve as a pilot for the city’s Project Labor Agreement ordinance, with most construction performed by union workers.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The train had been carrying mostly students and workers traveling to school and work in other districts when the incident unfolded, BBC Thai stated.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
By the mid-level bureaucrat who finally decides the cost of complicity is too high.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Likewise, empowering state bureaucrats to value individual portfolios – which are often illiquid and not easy to value – is textbook government bloat, something national voters have no tolerance for.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Public servant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public%20servant. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
