1
as in official
a person who holds a public office
the new governor made a vow that he would always remember why he was called a public servant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in civil servant
a worker in a government agency
concerned that the new federal agency would just add another slew of public servants to the government payroll
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of public servant
She was charged with disorderly intoxication, battery on an officer/firefighter/EMT, resisting arrest with violence and threatening a public servant, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
—
Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
For an-hour-and-half, more than two dozen people shared their memories of Metayer Bowen, and she was repeatedly called a public servant rather than a politician.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Peters was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant and one count each of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failure to comply with the requirements of the secretary of state.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Peters was convicted in 2024 on seven criminal charges, including felony attempt to influence a public servant.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for public servant
Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
For an-hour-and-half, more than two dozen people shared their memories of Metayer Bowen, and she was repeatedly called a public servant rather than a politician.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Peters was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant and one count each of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failure to comply with the requirements of the secretary of state.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Peters was convicted in 2024 on seven criminal charges, including felony attempt to influence a public servant.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for public servant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public servant
Noun
-
To back off from that charge, district officials proposed raising average class sizes in kindergarten through fourth grade from 24-to-1 to 28-to-1, according to the district.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Allen attempted to storm the dinner on foot, carrying multiple guns and knives, and planned to kill top officials, starting with the highest-ranking, according to the criminal complaint.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Judge Jesse Furman decided the case belongs with him because Comey was fired pursuant to the president's executive authority and not the usual procedures for civil servants.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The firm recruits tenants from the State Attorney’s Office, police and fire departments, and hospitals, and 70% of residents are civil servants, the partners say.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Upon arrival, officers discovered a man in his 20s with apparent gunshot wounds.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
-
Farrug attempted to drive away, but one officer stopped him while another put the car in park.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The original 10-point ethics complaint, filed by eight Skokie residents last February, alleged Johnson violated the village’s ethics code by using the public comment podium on multiple occasions for political purposes (Johnson was then running for village clerk).—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The investigation, supported by an audit by Arkansas Legislative Audit, determined Hulen misappropriated $2,210 in court fine payments while employed as the court clerk.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The key position of NSF director has been unfilled ever since Sethuraman Panchanathan, a computer scientist and academic administrator, resigned in April 2025.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Often, students labeled EBD are kids whom teachers and school administrators have deemed too disruptive to remain in regular classrooms.—
Laurie Stern,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to one former Kinahan employee, McGovern was a generous and well-liked person during his stint in Dubai, and was known as a heavy tipper.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Legends fictionalizes the true story of British customs employees who went undercover in the '90s to infiltrate drug smuggling gangs.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Much like the demonstrations two decades ago, organizers on Friday also called for a general boycott — no school, no work, no shopping — in an effort to demand that the country put workers above billionaires by taxing the rich.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
On Friday afternoon, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the 57-year-old worker as Thomas Darcy, a Schaumburg resident.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
When city bureaucrats saw as liabilities schools that had been denied resources, parents saw community anchors.—
Stacy Davis Gates,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
This would reset the balance between the executive and legislative branches, demanding the House and Senate not cede excessive authority to unelected bureaucrats who are only too happy to usurp legislative powers.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Public servant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public%20servant. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
