foreign service

noun

: the field force of a foreign office comprising diplomatic and consular personnel

Examples of foreign service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Political nominees are often posted to friendly Western allies with little chance of major conflict, while career foreign service officers are often given the most sensitive assignments. Miami Herald, 16 July 2025 The department has begun sending layoff notices to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with assignments in the United States, according to a senior department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025 His staff rewrote key personnel rules to allow the department to fire foreign service and civil service officials in roles now being phased out. Michele Kelemen, NPR, 11 July 2025 One of the criticisms has been directed at the firing of potentially several hundred U.S. foreign service officers who typically are evaluated based on years of experience, knowledge of particular areas and regions in the world and language skills. Humeyra Pamuk, USA Today, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for foreign service

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foreign service was in 1799

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Cite this Entry

“Foreign service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreign%20service. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

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