public service

American  

noun

1. the business of supplying an essential commodity, as gas or electricity, or a service, as transportation, to the general public.

2. government employment; civil service.

3. 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.

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public service British  

noun

1. 1. government employment

   2. the management and administration of the affairs of a political unit, esp the civil service

2. 1. a service provided for the community

      buses provide a public service

   2. ( as modifier )

      a public-service announcement

3. 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

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Etymology

Origin of public service

First recorded in 1560–70

Example Sentences

He also gave combative interviews to public service TV and radio, which have largely ignored or attacked him for the past two years.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

García Harfuch’s mother, María Sorté, says her son is grounded, humble and committed to public service, aware that attention to his looks is fleeting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Years after leaving the television business and a brief career as a media coach, Kavanagh runs the site as a kind of public service and a way to stay engaged and keep mentally fit.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

"That would have been an important specimen," said Freeman, lead author of the study and a senior public service associate emeritus at the UGA Odum School of Ecology.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

On the radio, the announcer reads public service classifieds.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Related Words

• civil service