PUBLIC SERVANTS Synonyms: 30 Similar Words

public servants

noun

plural of public servant

as in officials

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

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as in civil servants

a worker in a government agency concerned that the new federal agency would just add another slew of public servants to the government payroll

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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 public servants It is often weakened by attacks on the institutions and public servants sworn to uphold it. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 The Dominican government also offers Creole language training for some public servants. — Kendall Medford, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026 Twenty-five years later, South Florida will honor the lives lost and sacrifices made by first responders and other public servants on 9/11. — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026 Corporate vice presidents can learn from academics, entrepreneurs and public servants. — Siri Swahari, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026 The union fought back in federal court and saved their contract, but thousands of career public servants have been forced out of federal service. — Brendan Griffith, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026 Why Connecticut Should Lead Connecticut has a unique opportunity to lead the nation in civics education because Senator Lieberman was one of its most distinguished public servants. — Clarine Nardi Riddle, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026 From animal welfare advocates and public servants to working and therapy animals, the honorees will be recognized at the ASPCA’s annual Humane Awards in New York City. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 The country’s public servants are disciplined, rules-driven, and professional. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for public servants

Noun

Notably, the bill allows members to keep their current portfolio and leaves officials in the executive branch untouched.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
Federal probation officials are recommending 24 months in prison.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of officials

Noun

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
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

Definition of civil servants

Noun

All officers on the scenes of vehicle stops must wear and activate their body cameras, under the guidance.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
With early voting already underway, a question worrying some voters is what role — if any — immigration enforcement officers might have at polling places through Election Day.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of officers

Noun

Two employees alleged that SKDK, a public affairs firm first hired by UCLA amid turmoil during pro-Palestinian protests, was used to pitch news coverage of Osako’s 2024 reappointment.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Eiffel Tower workers protested with a one-day strike after tower management allegedly replaced some women employees for the duration of a 20-minute visit by monks from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or BAPS.

— Bhakti Mamtora, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of employees

Noun

These innovations may reduce the number of bureaucrats autocrats need.

— Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
At the same time, some critics worried that the Obama-era guidance had gone too far, tasking college bureaucrats with investigating criminal allegations and diluting due process.

— Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of bureaucrats

Noun

Containment efforts have also been hamstrung by insecurity, displacement, a health workers' strike and intense population movements.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
How the Saver’s Match will work The new Saver’s Match is part of an ongoing broader effort to help workers save for retirement.

— Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of workers

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“Public servants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public%20servants. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of public servants

noun

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