public service
Americannoun
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the business of supplying an essential commodity, as gas or electricity, or a service, as transportation, to the general public.
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government employment; civil service.
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a service to the public rendered without charge by a profit-making organization.
This radio program has been brought to you as a public service.
noun
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government employment
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the management and administration of the affairs of a political unit, esp the civil service
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a service provided for the community
buses provide a public service
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( as modifier )
a public-service announcement
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British equivalent: civil service. the service responsible for the public administration of the government of a country. It excludes the legislative, judicial, and military branches. Members of the public service have no official political allegiance and are not generally affected by changes of governments
Etymology
Origin of public service
First recorded in 1560–70
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.
After a life devoted to public service or writing for think tanks, he isn’t a wealthy man.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
"At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle."
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
We know the precarious nature of public service media companies whose traditional economic model relied on funding from advertising which has fallen dramatically in recent years.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
McKee, a former businessman, had held several junior ministerial roles previously but is now stepping up to the cabinet for the first time as public service reform secretary, with the government eyeing big savings.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Daniel Hudson Burnham was born in Henderson, New York, on September 4, 1846, into a family devoted to Swedenborgian principles of obedience, self-subordination, and public service.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
