government man
- noun
- /ˈɡʌvərnmənt mæn/
- Archaic
:
agente del gobierno
- The old movies often feature a government man on the trail of notorious criminals.
Examples
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Several witnesses saw a government man questioning people outside the bank.
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The government man showed his badge when he approached the suspicious individuals.
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He suspected that his neighbor was, in fact, a government man keeping a close watch.
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The government man arrived at the scene promptly.
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Many government men were involved in the investigation.
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When the robbery occurred, a government man quickly interviewed witnesses about what they saw.
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In classic detective novels, the government man often played a key role in solving the case.
Synonyms
165
7.0
A police officer who works for the federal government in the United States and enforces national laws
155
2.8
A person who works for the FBI and investigates serious crimes
104
3.5
A person who works for the country's government to enforce laws and investigate crimes
32
3.7
A government worker who makes sure people follow national laws, often in the United States
28
6.5
A man who works to enforce the law, like a sheriff or police officer
16
3.7
A person who works for the government and acts for it
6
9.2
A government agent who works for the FBI and investigates crimes
3
8.9
An informal name for a police officer who works for the national government in Spanish-speaking countries
A man who works for the United States Treasury to look into crimes about money and taxes
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person employed by or representing the government' is directly and transparently composed from 'government' (state authority) + 'man' (person). The agentive pattern 'X man' (a person associated with X) is common and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Government man comes from 1930s U.S. stories about agents who chased gangsters. Newspapers called those agents 'G-men', short for government man, so the image of a man working for the government and watching or arresting criminals explains why it means 'a federal law-enforcement agent'.