Okuzeka
Public Administration vocabulary · Civil Service and Public Personnel

Public official

Meaning in public administration, with examples

nounCore term

In public administration, public official means: Any person who holds a position in a public body and acts with its authority, including civil servants, appointed heads of institutions and elected office holders.

In Turkish: kamu görevlisi, devlet görevlisi, yetkili

How it is used

A broad, slightly formal term common in law, ethics codes and news. Rules on bribery and conflicts of interest usually apply to all public officials. In news, officials on its own often means people speaking for a government body: officials said...

Example sentences

  1. Public officials must declare any gifts worth more than the set limit.

  2. Senior public officials met with residents to explain the new transport plan.

Common collocations

  • senior public official
  • elected public official
  • conduct of public officials
  • bribery of public officials
  • civil servantA permanent employee of a government ministry or public agency who carries out official work and is not chosen through elections or political appointment.
  • code of conductA written set of rules and principles describing how the members of an organization are expected to behave, for example on gifts, neutrality and the use of information.
  • conflict of interestA situation in which an official's personal interests, such as family, business or financial links, could affect, or seem to affect, the way they carry out their public duties.
  • corruptionThe dishonest use of public power or position for private gain, such as taking bribes, favouring relatives or stealing public funds.

More terms: Civil Service and Public Personnel

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