foreign service: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal, Official, Political, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “foreign service” mean?
The diplomatic service of a country.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The diplomatic service of a country; the government department or the body of officials who represent their country's interests abroad through embassies and consulates.
The collective term for a nation's diplomats and diplomatic activities overseas, including political reporting, consular assistance, cultural promotion, and treaty negotiation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK official usage, the term 'Diplomatic Service' or 'Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service' (HM Diplomatic Service) is more common than 'Foreign Service', though 'foreign service' is understood generically. In the US, 'Foreign Service' is the official, formal name (United States Foreign Service).
Connotations
In the US, it carries a strong sense of a prestigious, distinct career corps. In the UK, it is part of the wider Civil Service but with a specific diplomatic identity.
Frequency
The phrase is significantly more frequent in American English due to its status as a formal institutional title.
Grammar
How to Use “foreign service” in a Sentence
[Country's] Foreign Servicethe Foreign Service of [Country]a member of the foreign serviceto serve in the foreign serviceVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “foreign service” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He hopes to foreign-service his way into a post in Geneva. (Very informal, rare)
American English
- She spent years foreign-serving across three continents. (Informal, rare)
adverb
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
adjective
British English
- Foreign-service life involves frequent moves. (Attributive use)
American English
- The Foreign-Service exam is notoriously difficult. (Attributive use, often hyphenated in this context)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in contexts like 'Our firm advises foreign service personnel on investments.'
Academic
Used in political science, international relations, and history texts discussing state institutions and diplomacy.
Everyday
Limited. Might be used in news reports or when discussing someone's career: 'My cousin is in the foreign service and is posted to Tokyo.'
Technical
Core term in diplomacy, international law, and government administration, specifying the professional body of diplomats.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “foreign service”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “foreign service”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “foreign service”
- Using it as a countable noun for an individual (e.g., 'He is a foreign service' - incorrect). Correct: 'He is a foreign service officer.'
- Confusing it with 'military service abroad'. Foreign service is exclusively diplomatic/civilian.
- Using lowercase when referring to the official US institution (should be 'Foreign Service').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In the US context, no. The State Department is the executive department. The Foreign Service is the professional personnel corps that staffs it abroad.
Rarely. It is usually treated as an uncountable collective noun. 'Services' might be used to refer to multiple types of overseas governmental activities (e.g., diplomatic and consular services), but not as the plural of the institution.
A consul performs specific consular functions (visas, assisting citizens). A foreign service officer is a broader term for a career diplomat who may have consular, political, economic, or management roles. A consul is often a type of foreign service officer.
It depends. When referring generically to any country's diplomatic staff, lowercase is fine. When it is part of an official title (e.g., the United States Foreign Service, the Indian Foreign Service), it is capitalised.
The diplomatic service of a country.
Foreign service is usually formal, official, political, journalistic in register.
Foreign service: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfɒr.ɪn ˈsɜː.vɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfɔːr.ən ˈsɝː.vɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A ticket to the Foreign Service (US, meaning a pathway to a diplomatic career)”
- “To wear the Foreign Service pin (US, symbolic of being a diplomat)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: FOREIGN lands + SERVICE to your country = FOREIGN SERVICE. It's the group that SERVES your country's interests in FOREIGN nations.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE FOREIGN SERVICE IS A CORPS/ARMY (e.g., 'the diplomatic corps', 'officer', 'posting', 'to serve'). THE FOREIGN SERVICE IS A CHANNEL/PIPELINE (for communication and representation between nations).
Practice
Quiz
In which country is 'Foreign Service' the official name for its diplomatic corps?