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 Career public servants are people, not pawns, and no one who has devoted their life to serving the American public should have their good name destroyed for partisan, political gain. — Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2026 Octavius Catto spent his formative years and subsequently launched his career as a public servant in Philadelphia. — Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026 Thank you, Jack Smith, for being a dedicated public servant and continuing to do the right thing to help protect American democracy, even after unfounded threats of prosecution. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2026 Fricker’s complaint alleges, in part, that Zahnd may have violated multiple state laws, including possibly bribery of a public servant. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for public servant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public servant
Noun
  • There are so many organizations working to protect the voting process -- including many that cannot legally coordinate with each other -- that some officials involved worry about unintentionally creating chaos outside polling locations.
    — STEVE PEOPLES, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Although officials have not released details about the cause of death, scientists agree that if it was caused by ordinary plague, the wider world has little to worry about.
    — Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The postwar model of a large welfare and regulatory state, run by a class of civil servants charged with modernizing the economy, tempering market forces and defining the common good, has run its course.
    — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • At the meeting, ministry Undersecretary Khaled Al-Raqab told the union that the amount was not a tax, but rather a donation sought by the ministry to help pay civil servants in the strip.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • According to the district’s chief business officer Gerardo Castillo, Sac City Unified’s initial report included only its 2025-26 expenditures and left out spending from 2024-25.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Mike Krieger, Anthropic’s chief product officer and an advisor at Collective[i], summed it up in a single line.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In August 2023, Bangs offered LaGrone an earlier plea agreement under which he would have been sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to a record in the district clerk’s file.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said that the clerks who didn't comply with the government's demands could face prosecution as well.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The company also has strict policies against bullying through Google Classroom and Google for Education products, as well as offering tools for students to report instances of cruelty to administrators, according to Google.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Bettini and her research partners also found that supportive administrators and adequate planning time can help make the work feel more sustainable for teachers.
    — Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Safety begins with owners and boards and extends to every employee operating an attraction.
    — Dennis Speigel, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The proposal returned to the Baltimore County Council Tuesday, reigniting discussion over compensation for the county’s highest-ranking officials as some government employees continue pressing for higher pay.
    — Natalie Jones, Baltimore Sun, 28 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In new measures, the army said most Palestinian workers with permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli West Bank settlements on Sunday and Monday, and crossings into Israel will remain closed until after Israel's elections on Tuesday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Crump also highlighted that Foster was accused of making a racially offensive remark to a co-worker days before the shooting, according to Mississippi Today.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Vying for dominance as well are the haughty, self-serving bureaucrats of the area’s bustling capital of South Wood (Jemaine Clement, Marc Evan Jackson), who pull their political strings from the relative safety of the grand Pittock Mansion.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • And if Sandra Hüller comes through with a best supporting actress nomination for her deadpan, karaoke-singing bureaucrat?
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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