civil service

noun

: the administrative service of a government or international agency exclusive of the armed forces
especially : one in which appointments are determined by competitive examination

Examples of civil service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These employees, many of whom were new hires or had recently received promotions, lacked full civil service protections. Davis Winkie, USA Today, 19 May 2025 Following Trump's lead, his administration has carried out a dramatic purge of what Congress had set up as independent agencies, firing tens of thousands of employees, even those with civil service protections. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025 President Donald Trump announced on Friday his administration will be issuing new civil service regulations reclassifying around 50,000 federal employees under Schedule F, a designation that would strip them of key civil service protections. Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025 Salary increases of $100 per month for teachers and 7.5% for civil service workers effective in September 1969. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for civil service

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of civil service was circa 1770

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Cite this Entry

“Civil service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20service. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

civil service

noun
: the branch of a government that takes care of the business of running a state but that does not include the lawmaking branch, the military, or the court system

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