civil servant

noun

1. a civil-service employee.

civil servant

noun

1. a member of the civil service

Word History and Origins

Origin of civil servant¹

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Its day-to-day operations had been run by aides in their 20s who every six weeks held a popular drinks reception at a pub attended by young civil servants, policy researchers and journalists.

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Rounds of layoffs, the deferred-resignation plan and other voluntary departure programs, including an early-retirement push, slashed the number of civil servants, impeded work at government sites nationwide and reduced services that Americans rely on.

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Smoking a cigarette in a shaded doorway not far from the church, a 33-year-old civil servant, who gave her name as Aurélie, spoke with undisguised bitterness.

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The Conservatives will set out proposals later on cutting public spending on welfare, aid and civil servants which the shadow chancellor will say would save £47bn over five years.

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"Certainly civil servants advising will say 'well minister, this is very courageous'. And that I think is the main reason, the financial implications ministers would worry about, because we are short of money."

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Related Words

• public servant