civil service
Americannoun
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those branches of public service concerned with all governmental administrative functions outside the armed services.
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the body of persons employed in these branches.
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a system or method of appointing government employees on the basis of competitive examinations, rather than by political patronage.
noun
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the service responsible for the public administration of the government of a country. It excludes the legislative, judicial, and military branches. Members of the civil service have no official political allegiance and are not generally affected by changes of governments
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the members of the civil service collectively
Etymology
Origin of civil service
First recorded in 1775–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sir Olly, who was appointed to the Foreign Office job in early 2025, has held a number of senior civil service roles and was previously the government's lead official during Brexit negotiations with the EU.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
For several years, I worked for the Chief Leader, also located in lower Manhattan, which has covered civil service since 1897.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Mistral models are also being used to roll out a French government tool for part of the civil service administration.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
In Jharkhand, the protests began after last month's preliminary civil service exam results, with some candidates alleging that answer sheets shared online showed successful applicants had answered fewer questions than expected, fuelling suspicions of manipulation.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Recognizing the public's disdain for the spoils system, he called for a law regulating civil service jobs within the government.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
