civil service

noun

: the administrative service of a government or international agency exclusive of the armed forces
especially : one in which appointments are determined by competitive examination

Examples of civil service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Throughout history, in the United States and elsewhere, the imposition of political control on a civil service has been a recipe for incompetence and anti-democratic abuse. Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 1 Nov. 2024 This is very threatening for government employees and obviously offensive to the notion of a neutral civil service. Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 1 Nov. 2024 According to the New York Times, the couple tied the knot in a civil service held in San Antonio, Texas before holding a religious ceremony in Mexico. Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Project 2025, produced by the conservative Heritage Foundation, similarly proposes that many civil service positions be replaced with political appointees selected directly by the president. TIME, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for civil service 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of civil service was circa 1770

Dictionary Entries Near civil service

Cite this Entry

“Civil service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20service. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

civil service

noun
: the branch of a government that takes care of the business of running a state but that does not include the lawmaking branch, the military, or the court system
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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