A civil servant is a person who works in the Civil Service in Britain and some other countries, or for the local, state, or federal government in the United States.
...two senior civil servants.
civil servant in British English
noun
a member of the civil service
civil servant in American English
a civil-service employee
Examples of 'civil servant' in a sentence
civil servant
Only when a civil servant walked in did he attempt to find a towel but failed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Civil servants should be removed for clear evidence of disloyalty but not for unwelcome or inconvenient advice.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Being a civil servant is not normally considered a dangerous occupation.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The home secretary strongly defended her actions and those of her senior civil servants.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This was agreed by civil servants in 2013 close to a peak in international energy prices.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Apparently the useless civil servants would put pressure on the minister to have a spending spree as the end of the financial year approached.
The Sun (2016)
The PM said she was fed up of civil servants trying to guess what she wants to hear.
The Sun (2016)
She likes lots of detail,' one senior civil servant says.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Only once they were in government could civil servants offer advice in return.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Will it be civil servants who decide what gets made?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The note refers to two civil servants.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Civil servants who leak government documents should consider their own position carefully before doing so.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He expected the two civil servants to appear shortly.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Pay freezes or minimal rises are also expected for thousands of senior civil servants and for government ministers.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He is known to have had regular conversations with government ministers and civil servants throughout the financial crisis.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You are possibly a civil servant.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Civil servants faced two more problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Media in Jakarta have reported an official decree that civil servants use local products.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Thirty civil servants on more than 100,000.
The Sun (2015)
Meet the teenage civil servant who is going to save you 4 million.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Civil servants serve elected government ministers and must be politically impartial What jobs are on offer?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The unit includes two former intelligence officers with expertise in counterterrorism, two academic experts and senior civil servants.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Meanwhile, senior mandarins are concerned about the number of political appointees being parachuted into government as civil servants.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It added that senior civil servants are failing to raise serious concerns where top members of the Government are wedded to pet projects.
The Sun (2016)
Then I realised they were civil servants discussing government policy.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
She's 92 years young and worked during the war appointing civil servants.
The Sun (2007)
The bonuses represented 8.4 per cent of overall pay for the department's senior civil servants.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Military chiefs and senior civil servants at the MoD are fighting to keep the project in-house.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
One senior military source said: 'These two civil servants were already earning huge salaries.
The Sun (2015)
Civil servants say their wages barely keep pace with inflation, currently at 6.4 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Fewer than five service personnel and civil servants have asked for treatment in that time, the MoD said.
The Sun (2011)
There is a strong feeling that the politicians and senior civil servants are too numerous, too cosy, and get too much money for what they do.
The Sun (2012)
In other languages
civil servant
British English: civil servant /ˈsɪvl ˈsɜːvnt/ NOUN
A civil servant is a person who works in a government department.