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

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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 Americans are accustomed to showing wide deference to senior military leaders, treating them as dutiful public servants rather than possible enablers of presidential lawlessness. Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 25 June 2026 Woods was charged in Jefferson County Court in January 2025 with forgery, attempting to influence a public servant, perjury, and cybercrime. Alan Gionet, CBS News, 23 June 2026 Woods pleaded guilty to committing a cybercrime, perjury, attempting to influence a public servant and forgery. Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 23 June 2026 What many people don’t know is that an earlier and more obscure stint during the administration of President Gerald Ford shaped him as a public servant. Paul Wachtel, The Conversation, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for public servant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public servant
Noun
  • State media reported a strike on a railway bridge in Iran’s northeastern Golestan province, and the Revolutionary Guard said two bridges were attacked on the route to Mashhad, where officials plan to bury the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday.
    Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • In a staff report describing the proposal, city officials said the user fees would simply allow the city to recover its costs for enforcing wage laws and helping businesses understand those laws and how to comply with them.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
Noun
  • Its senior leadership was appointed by the Hamas administration, while its hospitals and public health services were staffed largely by career doctors, medical workers, and civil servants.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 7 July 2026
  • Chloe Barker, a civil servant from West Yorkshire, England, traveled to Prague with a friend on June 26, per Kennedy News and Media.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Noun
  • But a DeKalb County officer recently had his firearm in one hand and handcuffs in the other while trying to arrest a teenager who was on the ground with his hands behind his back.
    Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 12 July 2026
  • In the event authorities spot a drone, Link said officers make efforts to locate the flyers and warn them to land.
    Sydney Brammer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026
Noun
  • Judge Kaplan on Wednesday ordered the clerk to move the money into an account belonging to Carroll's lawyers.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • Hearn nodded when the clerk read him his charges and appeared stoic.
    Gary Grumbach, NBC news, 9 July 2026
Noun
  • San Juan High School administrators could not be reached for comment Monday.
    Reeti Malhotra July 6, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • The ‘College-Enrollment Death Spiral’ and College Athletics The merger of Ursuline and Gannon stems in part from the enrollment challenges that have become a focal point of higher ed administrators across the country.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • Many crew members are hired through third-party agencies with varying practices, and actual earnings can vary depending on the cruise line, the individual employee's experience level and other factors.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • Diaz’s attorney says that man was Oscar Villafranca, another employee of the taco stand.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • Advocates viewed Cal/OSHA’S recognition of the detainees as workers as a victory that could pave the way for future labor rights fights at other detention centers in the state.
    Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The women who get promoted aren’t always the hardest workers in the room.
    Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • These incidents rarely appear in the statistics politicians and bureaucrats cite when assuring the public that downtown is moving in the right direction.
    Jonathan Beaton, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • Giving the president more direct control over who serves on those bodies has long been a goal of conservatives, who have objected to unelected bureaucrats wielding too much power with little accountability.
    Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 29 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Public servant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public%20servant. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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