1.
public office; government position
An official position in government or public service. Includes elected officials, civil servants, and other positions of public trust.
Composed of 公 (public) + 職 (position, office). A formal term used in legal and political contexts. Common collocations: 公職に就く (to assume public office), 公職を辞する (to resign from public office), 公職選挙 (public office election), 公職追放 (purge from public office). The 公職選挙法 (Public Offices Election Act) is a key Japanese law governing all aspects of elections. After WWII, the 公職追放 (public office purge) barred wartime leaders from government positions.