Definition

Noun: 1. A government employee: A person who works for a government department or agency, performing administrative duties or providing services to the public. This includes individuals who may be elected, appointed, or hired. 2. A civil servant: Specifically, a professional who works in the public sector, implementing government policies and managing public affairs, typically characterized by a career based on merit and non-partisan service.

Examples

• The public servant processed my driver's license application efficiently.
• She dedicated her career as a public servant to improving the local education system.
• Elected officials, such as mayors, are also considered public servants.

Advanced Usage

• "Career public servant": Emphasizes a long-term professional commitment to government service, as opposed to a political appointee.
  • After thirty years as a career public servant, he retired from the Department of Transportation.
• The term often carries an implied ethos of duty, integrity, and service to the community rather than private gain.

Variants and Related Words

• Civil servant (n): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably, though sometimes "civil servant" refers more specifically to non-elected, career government employees.
• Public service (n): The work performed by public servants; government employment or the system itself.
  • He believes in the importance of public service.

Synonyms

• Government employee
• Civil servant
• State official
• Bureaucrat (can be neutral or carry a negative connotation of excessive administrative complexity)

Related Phrases

• To enter public service: To begin a career working for the government.
  • After graduation, she decided to enter public service.

Noun

1. someone who holds a government position (either by election or appointment)