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
All public servants have my respect and admiration.
—
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Reward public servants for engagement, not just efficiency.
—Garrett Lucien, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
Anyone assessing the relative experience of these two women, both dedicated public servants, would have to conclude that Kelly’s resume had the greater heft.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 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
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Reward public servants for engagement, not just efficiency.
—Garrett Lucien, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
Anyone assessing the relative experience of these two women, both dedicated public servants, would have to conclude that Kelly’s resume had the greater heft.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 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
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Davis is not cleared for basketball activities and will be reevaluated in two weeks, Wizards officials said.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Although the families have identified some of the deceased, officials have not yet released the names of those killed, and extreme weather in the area has continued to stymie efforts to retrieve their remains.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Last year, approximately three hundred and fifty-two thousand civil servants left their jobs, fulfilling one of the Administration’s stated goals of dismantling the government bureaucracy and demoralizing the federal workforce.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
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The best way to begin this journey is to bring people into this system by expanding Medicare to civil servants, military, police, and teachers.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Three Mexican security officers were wounded, the embassy said.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Her husband and two children were inside the home when officers arrived.—
Sudhin Thanawala,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Variety has also recently reported that most WBD employees favor Netflix over Paramount as a potential buyer.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
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Perplexity also funds prizes like $500 gift cards, AirPods, and Oura Rings for their clients’ employees who win a follow-up eight-week challenge to integrate AI into their workflows.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Education decisions belong with parents, not bureaucrats.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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When Vance attended the annual Munich Security Conference as a first-term senator, in 2024, he got fed up with the European Union bureaucrats and took off early to reconnect with Dreher, who had come from Budapest, over beer and sausages.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Borth and her co-workers quickly identified 11 families at their school alone who were in need of groceries the first week in January.—
Nick Woltman,
Twin Cities,
22 Feb. 2026
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Fast food workers can attest to the fact strange things happen after dark at the drive-thru, and an example played out Friday night at the McDonald’s in Henderson, North Carolina.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Public servants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public%20servants. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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