civil service

American  

noun

1. those branches of public service concerned with all governmental administrative functions outside the armed services.

2. the body of persons employed in these branches.

3. a system or method of appointing government employees on the basis of competitive examinations, rather than by political patronage.

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civil service British  

noun

1. 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

2. the members of the civil service collectively

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civil service Cultural  

1. The nonmilitary personnel who work for a government, applying its laws and regulations.

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Etymology

Origin of civil service

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

Steven had been planning his active retirement after a long and decorated career in the civil service, when he began to notice a numbness in his leg.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

But are contemporary events, poor leadership and a creaking civil service enough to blame for our current political disorder?

From BBC • May 16, 2026

One consequence is that people cannot wear religious clothing and work in public-sector professions like teaching or the civil service.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Normally, top mandarins are plucked from the British civil service for the Washington post.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Studied at the Lyceum of Nezhin, went to St. Petersburg in 1828 where he entered, in 1829, the civil service, in the Department of Public Works for the Ministry of the Interior.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• administration
• authority
• management
• ministry
• red tape