civil service

/ˌˈsɪvɪl ˌsʌrvəs/

Other forms: civil services

The civil service is made up of unelected federal government workers who aren't part of the military. Your friendly neighborhood mail carrier works is a civil service employee.

People who work in civil service are known as civil servants. Typically, these terms describe employees of the federal government — the state equivalent is public service. Everyone who works in the White House, at NASA, in the CIA, and for the State Department is part of what's collectively called civil service. Civil, as in civilian, was originally used to emphasize the non-military nature of these jobs.

Definitions of civil service

1. noun

   the government workforce exclusive of military service
   types:

   Whitehall

   the British civil service

   type of:

   government officials, officialdom

   people elected or appointed to administer a government