civil servant
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of civil servant
First recorded in 1790–1800
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.
The ballad, The Fields of Athenry, refers to it as "Trevelyan's corn", after the civil servant who had responsibility for administering relief during the famine, Charles Trevelyan.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
As the top civil servant at the Cabinet Office, Little was given responsibility for overseeing the process of releasing documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Former senior Foreign Office civil servant Sir Olly Robbins this week accused No 10 of a "dismissive" attitude towards the process, a claim Downing Street has denied.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Cat Little, the most senior civil servant at the Cabinet Office, has been giving evidence to the Commons foreign affairs committee about the vetting of Lord Mandelson.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Self-taught, the youngest daughter of a senior civil servant.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
