public servant

Definition of public servantnext
1
as in official
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

Relevance
2
as in civil servant
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

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 public servant Seymour made no apologies for selling himself as a public servant while simultaneously seeking more power. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 Whitson says Jeff was a lifelong public servant. Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026 Meade feels her journey as a public servant has been guided by her mother, her north star, who worked as a grocery store cashier for 28 years. Jenelyn Russo, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 She was charged with disorderly intoxication, battery on an officer/firefighter/EMT, resisting arrest with violence and threatening a public servant, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for public servant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public servant
Noun
  • Riverside County officials said there were no updates on the active investigation.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
  • However, several other disturbances broke out as hundreds of people on the beach attempted to leave simultaneously, officials noted.
    Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • On Wednesday Montana’s lieutenant governor Kristen Juras presented to a group of state lawmakers, civil servants, and a few members of the public on the legal status of corner crossing.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 May 2026
  • Tom Burke and Steve Coogan star in this series about a team of civil servants tasked with combating the flood of drugs that hit the streets of Britain in the '90s.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • Customers who still came to Epic Studio Barbers & Stylist in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood on Diversey Avenue no longer arrived in large family groups but alone, sprinting from their cars for fear of being stopped by immigration officers.
    Jack O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
  • The law excluded unions representing police, fire and correctional officers, which are more supportive of Republican leaders.
    Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2026
Noun
  • Alex Murdaugh has filed a federal lawsuit against the now-former clerk of court whose interactions with the jury in his 2023 murder trial prompted the South Carolina Supreme Court last week to overturn his double murder convictions.
    Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
  • The lawsuit alleges the clerk denied him his right to a fair trial.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • His mother taught social work while his father worked as a student administrator.
    Mo Rocca, CBS News, 24 May 2026
  • Manning, who had also held the interim KSC director role during Petro’s tenure as interim NASA administrator in 2025, also is moving up in NASA’s hierarchy.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Noun
  • The court recommended that the petition be dismissed, and that the organizations be given one month to submit the employee lists.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
  • Nine were arrested, including two museum employees, several tour guides, and the alleged mastermind.
    Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • After the landing, Starship toppled over into the ocean waters and exploded in a magnificent fireball (again, as planned) as SpaceX workers cheered.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 May 2026
  • Parallel with that, city enforcement is essential to holding accountable the app companies dispatching the 65,000-plus e-bike delivery workers within timeframes that impel the breaking of traffic laws.
    Michael Miller, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
Noun
  • Congress should focus on lowering health care costs and expanding access in ways that help patients first, not big insurance companies or bureaucrats.
    Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
  • The entertainment industry doesn’t need California bureaucrats deciding which projects deserve subsidies, which studios are strategically important, or which business models should survive.
    Will Swaim, Oc Register, 13 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Public servant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public%20servant. Accessed 26 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster