the Foreign Service
noun
: a part of the U.S. State Department that hires people (such as diplomats) to represent the government in foreign countries
Examples of the Foreign Service in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The executive order would appear to challenge basic and longstanding principles of the Foreign Service: that career diplomats should be hired based on their qualifications and expertise, not their political views, and that dissent should be welcomed and not punished.
—
Michael Crowley, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
The State Department, which had shrunk through attrition and a hiring freeze imposed by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, gained nearly 20 percent from 2020 to early 2024, or about 2,300 workers, not including the Foreign Service.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
But in Burns—a 33-year veteran of the Foreign Service, only the second career diplomat to become deputy secretary of state, a former ambassador to Russia and Jordan—Biden got a spymaster with an unusual set of skills.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2025
The secretary oversees and implements all of the president’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes several agencies, including the Foreign Service.
—Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2025
This is our love letter to the State Department and to the people who work in the Foreign Service.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
The secretary carries out the president's foreign policies through the State Department and the Foreign Service of the United States.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
That is what so many of these people in the State Department, in the Foreign Service, did all those Trump years.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Inside the Classroom After months of research, planning, and scheduling, Fick’s team launched the Cyberspace and Digital Policy Tradecraft course at the Foreign Service Institute with a test run in November 2022.
—Eric Geller, WIRED, 2 July 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Michael Crowley, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
The State Department, which had shrunk through attrition and a hiring freeze imposed by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, gained nearly 20 percent from 2020 to early 2024, or about 2,300 workers, not including the Foreign Service.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
But in Burns—a 33-year veteran of the Foreign Service, only the second career diplomat to become deputy secretary of state, a former ambassador to Russia and Jordan—Biden got a spymaster with an unusual set of skills.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2025
The secretary oversees and implements all of the president’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes several agencies, including the Foreign Service.
—Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2025
This is our love letter to the State Department and to the people who work in the Foreign Service.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
The secretary carries out the president's foreign policies through the State Department and the Foreign Service of the United States.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
That is what so many of these people in the State Department, in the Foreign Service, did all those Trump years.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Inside the Classroom After months of research, planning, and scheduling, Fick’s team launched the Cyberspace and Digital Policy Tradecraft course at the Foreign Service Institute with a test run in November 2022.
—Eric Geller, WIRED, 2 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“The Foreign Service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Foreign%20Service. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share