civil servant

noun

Definition of civil servantnext
as in public servant
a worker in a government agency took the examination to become a civil servant in the defense department

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 civil servant The government has opened an investigation, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri, the Health Ministry’s highest civil servant, to be removed from office. — Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 His father, a welder, left school after sixth grade; his mother, a civil servant, didn’t finish high school. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Other governments, including the US, have their own rules and disclosure requirements, but beyond the breadth of the controls in China, the sheer number of people affected is striking – and reaches far beyond civil servants. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 According to the Partnership for Public Service, more than 200,000 civil servants left the federal workforce in 2025 through voluntary and involuntary separations aimed at reducing head count. — Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for civil servant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil servant
  1. public servant
  2. clerk
  3. official
  4. employee
  5. worker
  6. bureaucrat
Noun
  • The South Carolina Policy Council described DeLong as a father, husband, friend and public servant.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The country’s public servants are disciplined, rules-driven, and professional.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of public servant
Noun
  • Requests for comment sent to the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office and the local circuit court clerk were not immediately returned.
    — Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The court clerk of Oklahoma’s Western District declined to comment on behalf of the district and the judges.
    — Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of clerk
Noun
  • City officials asked people to avoid the downtown area where police are investigating the shooting.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In 2019, officials introduced a state-of-the-art recovery room under Arthur Ashe Stadium where players can go during their breaks for treatments and rest.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of official
Noun
  • The lawsuit filed by two former employees contains allegations that are false, misleading, and unsupported by credible evidence.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Fisher was told that her husband and other residents had been videotaped naked at the home, and the images were shared among a group of facility employees via Snapchat.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of employee
Noun
  • Wichai Yuankham, 35, a factory worker who came to watch the ships arrive, said the naval visit was a welcome boost to the local economy.
    — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Changing majors and career paths The CNBC survey found that almost 40% of students and workers enrolled in school have considered changing their major, field of study or coursework due to AI, rising to 44% for students who are not employed.
    — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of worker
Noun
  • Consider Maxim Parshin, a competent bureaucrat who served as deputy minister of digital communications, who was arrested in July 2023.
    — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The nearly two-minute spot depicts a club-wielding bureaucrat chasing and tripping a child on a bike and another stealing a boy’s scooter.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of bureaucrat

Browse Nearby Words

civilly
civil servant
civil servants
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Civil servant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20servant. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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