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
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
Last year, Mexico experienced its deadliest election campaign in history, with around 200 politicians, candidates and public servants murdered in the lead-up to June elections.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 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
Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Our judges are dedicated public servants who serve with integrity.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025
Last year, Mexico experienced its deadliest election campaign in history, with around 200 politicians, candidates and public servants murdered in the lead-up to June elections.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 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
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Multiple White House officials arrived in their current jobs after working at Turning Point USA, the conservative outreach group that Kirk led and co-founded to energize Republicans on college campuses.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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On fourth down a flag was thrown for what looked like pass interference on the Mustangs, but after the officials huddled, the penalty was waved off giving the ball back to the Bulldogs.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What’s most important, both men say, is to allow the career civil servants at BLS to carry out their jobs.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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Some civil servants working to bolster democracy around the world and at home, for example, were disturbed by shifts in foreign policy.—
Yvonne Zylan,
The Conversation,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office What To Know Videos posted on social media after the shooting showed officers carrying Zinn from the scene as students can be heard screaming.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The expansive definitions of vagrancy, and the discretionary power that vagrancy laws conferred upon law enforcement officers as a result, date back to the colonial era.—
Time,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Al Jazeera employees even reportedly work with the terrorist group to identify protesters.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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That promise now feels increasingly tenuous; few of the permanent employees have been hired yet, the complex is still under construction, and most of the workforce are transient staff on temporary visas or contracts – like the ones swept up by ICE.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Jeffrey Epstein's cabal of politicians, bureaucrats, and elites who turned a blind eye must be held accountable.—
Anna Commander
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Every head of every government in the world has been frustrated with bureaucrats.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
High-skilled workers will see income growth, while low-skill workers will be competing for a decreasing number of job openings.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
If tax records and documents do not add up, employers and employees may be arrested and detained as investigators sort out who is illegally present in the United States or illegally employing workers.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Public servants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public%20servants. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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