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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
In the waning days of the last Trump administration, there was an executive order issued that would have removed civil service protection from a host of federal employees.
—Dan Gorenstein, NPR, 18 Dec. 2024
It is expected that, upon taking office, President Trump’s flurry of first acts will include reinstituting his first-term executive order, later reversed by Biden, that would enable him to remove more easily executive branch employees who enjoy civil service protection, such as career prosecutors.
—The Editors, National Review, 13 Dec. 2024
Beyond the private sector, Project 2025 could transform federal civil service employment into at-will positions, subjecting tens of thousands of federal employees to potential dismissal at the President's discretion.
—Solange Charas, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
The promises to roll back existing federal regulations by executive fiat, then fire the civil servants who administer the rules, grossly misrepresent how the regulatory process and civil service protections work under federal statutes.
—Noah Feldman, The Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1770, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near civil service
Cite this Entry
“Civil service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20service. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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
More from Merriam-Webster on civil service
Nglish: Translation of civil service for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of civil service for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civil service
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