Definition

Noun: - The diplomatic branch of a nation's government: The "foreign service" refers specifically to the organization of career diplomats and civil servants who represent their country's interests abroad. Its primary functions include conducting diplomacy, providing consular services to citizens overseas, and reporting on political and economic conditions in host countries. - The United States Foreign Service: When capitalized, it often specifically denotes the diplomatic service of the United States, which is part of the Department of State and staffs American embassies and consulates worldwide.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She dedicated her career to the foreign service, serving in embassies across three continents.
  • Entry into the Foreign Service is highly competitive, requiring rigorous written and oral examinations.
  • The ambassador praised the foreign service officers for their handling of the complex negotiation.

Advanced Usage

• "Foreign Service Officer (FSO)": A common title for a career diplomat within a foreign service.
  • As a Foreign Service Officer, her first posting was to a small embassy in Southeast Asia.

Variants and Related Words

• Diplomatic service: A near-synonymous term used by many other countries (e.g., the British Diplomatic Service).
• Consular service: A branch often within the foreign service focused on assisting citizens abroad (e.g., with visas, passports, and emergencies).

Synonyms

• Diplomatic corps: The body of diplomats accredited to a particular country.
• Diplomatic personnel: The individuals who make up the diplomatic service.

Related Phrases

• To join the foreign service: To become a career diplomat.
  • After graduate school, he decided to join the foreign service.
• Foreign service post: An assignment at an embassy or consulate abroad.
  • Her next foreign service post will be in Buenos Aires.

Noun

1. the part of the State Department that supplies diplomats for the United States embassies and consulates around the world