1. Employment within a governmental system, especially within the civil service.
2. A service performed for the benefit of the public, especially by a nonprofit organization.
3. The business of supplying an essential commodity, such as water or electricity, or a service, such as communications or transportation, to the public.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.