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
But dismissing public servants as lazy, overpaid or uncaring ignores the reality of the people doing the work — and undermines our ability to attract the talent needed to govern well.
—
John Atkinson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The perpetrators were not children, but knowledgeable adults who willfully chose to harass public servants.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
All public servants have my respect and admiration.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Evans recently attended a protest outside the nation's Supreme Court, where public servants — including teachers and nurses — demanded wage increases after three years without a pay raise.
—Manuel Rueda, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
Teachers, nurses, engineers, construction workers, hospitality staff, and public servants flow south and west into Orange and Seminole counties.
—Christopher Bellingham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Lawmakers, judges and other public servants, all under groundless presidential attack.
—James D. Zirin, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
A number of other democracies require some public servants to retire at the age of 75.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
As public servants, you are dedicated to the rule of law.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
John Atkinson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The perpetrators were not children, but knowledgeable adults who willfully chose to harass public servants.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
All public servants have my respect and admiration.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Evans recently attended a protest outside the nation's Supreme Court, where public servants — including teachers and nurses — demanded wage increases after three years without a pay raise.
—Manuel Rueda, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
Teachers, nurses, engineers, construction workers, hospitality staff, and public servants flow south and west into Orange and Seminole counties.
—Christopher Bellingham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Lawmakers, judges and other public servants, all under groundless presidential attack.
—James D. Zirin, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
A number of other democracies require some public servants to retire at the age of 75.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
As public servants, you are dedicated to the rule of law.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public servants
Noun
-
Heather Hughes, senior vice president of strategic alignment at the YMCA of the USA, has joined the board of directors of the DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville, officials announced.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Los Angeles County public health officials issued a bacteria warning at several beaches as a potentially record-breaking heat wave arrives in Southern California.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Thailand has suspended overseas travel for civil servants and urged them to take stairs instead of elevators.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
There are cash shortages, and the salaries for civil servants haven’t been paid out, even for many Houthi fighters.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When officers arrived, two men approached them wearing masks and gloves, carrying at least one gun.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Consider business, where chief executive officers are being replaced at a historically high pace.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
What mattered to Anthropic was a guarantee that Claude would have nothing to do with the analysis of bulk data collected domestically, an issue especially salient to its employees in the context of ongoing ICE raids.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But the fact that employees still showed up, including without pay during last year’s federal government shutdown, demonstrates their commitment to keeping the beloved parks flourishing.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are few things that California politicians and bureaucrats will not tax, subsidize, mandate, regulate and politicize, particularly if such a thing can be connected to environmental policy.—
Adam Summers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The state of Connecticut should not force parents to jump through hoops held by state bureaucrats.—
Nicholas Tampio,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some workers complain that receiving calls and messages can interrupt their recordings, and having a phone strapped to their head is uncomfortable.—
NILESH CHRISTOPHER LOS ANGELES TIMES,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The department eventually helped a hundred and sixty-one workers recover on average roughly three thousand dollars in wages each.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Public servants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public%20servants. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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