public servant

American  

noun

1. a person holding a government office or job by election or appointment; person in public service.

---

public servant British  

noun

1. an elected or appointed holder of a public office

2. British equivalent: civil servant.  a member of the public service

---

Etymology

Origin of public servant

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public servant

That hardly diminishes a lifetime spent largely out of the spotlight as a dedicated public servant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Conservative MP Grant shared the letter in which she called Widdecombe "a formidable Parliamentarian" and a "committed public servant" who had "diligently served her communities for 23 years".

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

“He was a trailblazer and a public servant in the truest sense of the word.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

The obscure law bans a person from soliciting or receiving nonpublic information from a public servant by means of their office or employment with the intent to obtain a benefit.

From Slate ● Mar. 26, 2026

Mother said it was the height of rudeness for a public servant with privileged knowledge to pry, and for once I had to agree with her.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Related Words

• civil servant
• elected official