1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of public servants
More variety creates more points of entry for young families, public servants and early-career professionals.
—
Belal Aftab, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Arnold said police aren’t the only public servants with recruitment issues.
—Alexis Martin, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Sep. 2025
During the presidency of Richard Nixon, public servants at the DOJ felt squeezed between what the president wanted and what the law required.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
Lawmakers are public servants, not reluctant volunteers conscripted into duty.
—Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Our judges are dedicated public servants who serve with integrity.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025
In the case of some noble-minded public servants, that meant better wages and safer conditions for workers as well as limits on environmental degradation.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 3 Sep. 2025
The Social Security Fairness Act, also signed into law in early 2025, eliminated provisions that reduced benefits for public servants with pensions from non-covered work.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Brave public servants from Texas are taking a stand against the Republican power grab unfolding in their state.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2025
Belal Aftab, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Arnold said police aren’t the only public servants with recruitment issues.
—Alexis Martin, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Sep. 2025
During the presidency of Richard Nixon, public servants at the DOJ felt squeezed between what the president wanted and what the law required.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
Lawmakers are public servants, not reluctant volunteers conscripted into duty.
—Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Our judges are dedicated public servants who serve with integrity.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025
In the case of some noble-minded public servants, that meant better wages and safer conditions for workers as well as limits on environmental degradation.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 3 Sep. 2025
The Social Security Fairness Act, also signed into law in early 2025, eliminated provisions that reduced benefits for public servants with pensions from non-covered work.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Brave public servants from Texas are taking a stand against the Republican power grab unfolding in their state.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public servants
Noun
-
About 20 living hostages remain captive in desperate conditions, Israeli officials say, and about 25 more are believed to have died, but their bodies have not been returned to their families.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
-
What happened next, according to first responders, Jasper's aunt Amber Rosen, churchgoers, hospital officials and family members of those impacted, is a blur of violence and terror with the pop-pop-pop of an assault weapon and thick black smoke from fire hanging in the air.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Immigration judges, who are more like civil servants, can approve or deny a final order of deportation.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had issued executive orders to improve access and opportunities for civil servants with disabilities.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Essential workers can include military personnel on active duty, law enforcement officers, and other public safety officers.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Elsewhere, another married couple, law enforcement officers Kobi (Israel Atias) and Nofar (Chen Amsalem), get separated while working separate shifts at the Nova Music Festival, the site of some of the day’s worst mass casualties.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Inversion, now 60 employees strong, aims to fly Arc’s first mission by 2026.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The administration has begun rehiring some of the tens of thousands of federal employees laid off earlier this year.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Edwards retreated to the Dark Forest in Germany with the actual nuclear bearings, and reached out to his Navy SEAL buddy, James Reece (Chris Pratt), to share his mindset of how war bureaucrats have set up real soldiers to fail in their efforts to keep the free world safe.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Nazi bureaucrats entered each bank and inventoried the contents of safes, strongrooms, and vaults.—
Christopher C. Gorham
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some workers, whose programs have alternative funding sources, continue to be paid on time.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But as of 2025, about 1 in 6 people under age 65 do not have access to this coverage, including many small-business owners and tradespeople, as well as part-time workers and those in the gig economy.—
Christopher Robertson,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Public servants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public%20servants. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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