public servant

A person who holds a government position by election or appointment.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

public servant

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) an elected or appointed holder of a public office

2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) Austral and NZ a member of the public service. British equivalent: civil servant

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pub′lic serv′ant

a person holding a government office or job by election or appointment.

[1670–80]

public servant

A person who holds office in a government.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

public servant - someone who holds a government position (either by election or appointment)

election - a vote to select the winner of a position or political office; "the results of the election will be announced tonight"

employee - a worker who is hired to perform a job

caseworker, social worker, welfare worker - someone employed to provide social services (especially to the disadvantaged)

Translations

public servant

n → funzionario/a della pubblica amministrazione

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

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References in classic literature

Because the Circumlocution Office was down upon any ill-advised public servant who was going to do it, or who appeared to be by any surprising accident in remote danger of doing it, with a minute, and a memorandum, and a letter of instructions that extinguished him.

As it was, Mr Barnacle, finding his gentlemanly residence extremely inconvenient and extremely dear, always laid it, as a public servant, at the door of the country, and adduced it as another instance of the country's parsimony.

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"My public servants have been fools and rogues from the date of your accession to power," replied the State; "my legislative bodies, both State and municipal, are bands of thieves; my taxes are insupportable; my courts are corrupt; my cities are a disgrace to civilisation; my corporations have their hands at the throats of every private interest - all my affairs are in disorder and criminal confusion."

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If we say that five or six hundred citizens are as many as can jointly exercise their right of suffrage, must we not deprive the people of the immediate choice of their public servants, in every instance where the administration of the government does not require as many of them as will amount to one for that number of citizens?

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By the frame of the government under which we live, this same people have wisely given their public servants but little power for mischief; and have, with equal wisdom, provided for the return of that little to their own hands at very short intervals.

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When this tale is told, I propose to lecture on the subject, to which all the editors in the country will receive the usual free tickets, when the world cannot fail of knowing quite as much, at least, as these meritorious public servants.

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From the reduction in the number of public servants owing to the island having been given up by the East Indian Company, and the consequent emigration of many of the richer people, the poverty probably will increase.

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And indeed all these gentlemen were so very persevering and energetic in this latter particular, and bestowed their favours so abundantly upon the carpet, that I take it for granted the Presidential housemaids have high wages, or, to speak more genteelly, an ample amount of 'compensation:' which is the American word for salary, in the case of all public servants.

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A man of good sense but of little faith, whose compassion seemed to lead him to church as often as he went there, said to me that "he liked to have concerts, and fairs, and churches, and other public amusements go on." I am afraid the remark is too honest, and comes from the same origin as the maxim of the tyrant, "If you would rule the world quietly, you must keep it amused." I notice too that the ground on which eminent public servants urge the claims of popular education is fear; 'This country is filling up with thousands and millions of voters, and you must educate them to keep them from our throats.' We do not believe that any education, any system of philosophy, any influence of genius, will ever give depth of insight to a superficial mind.

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A public servant at the Iloilo City Hall, meanwhile, was caught busy on her mobile phone.

Iloilo gov't workers caught off guard in CSC surprise inspection

An FIR has been registered at Govindpuri police station under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147 (riot), 149 (unlawful assembly) 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty).

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