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adjective
1.
serving or acting in a subordinate capacity; subordinate.
2.
servile; excessively submissive; obsequious: subservient persons; subservient conduct.
3.
useful in promoting a purpose or end.
Origin:
1625–35; < Latin subservient- (stem of subserviēns, present participle of subservīre to subserve), equivalent to sub- sub- + servi-, stem of servīre to serve + -ent -ent
1625–35; < Latin subservient- (stem of subserviēns, present participle of subservīre to subserve), equivalent to sub- sub- + servi-, stem of servīre to serve + -ent -ent
Related forms
sub·ser·vi·ence, sub·ser·vi·en·cy, noun
sub·ser·vi·ent·ly, adverb
un·sub·ser·vi·ent, adjective
un·sub·ser·vi·ent·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Subservience
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Example Sentences
- But the days of subservience to the descendants of long lines of nobility have long gone.
- French president's interpretation of burqa as a symbol of subservience is false.
- Gender roles are distinct, but for women there is none of the forced subservience knit into many other cultures.
Collins
World English Dictionary
| subservient (səbˈsɜːvɪənt) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | obsequious in behaviour or attitude |
| 2. | serving as a means to an end |
| 3. | a less common word for subordinate |
| [C17: from Latin subserviēns complying with, from subservīre to | |
| sub'serviently | |
| —adv | |
| sub'servience | |
| —n | |
| sub'serviency | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
subservient
1632, "useful, serviceable," from L. subservientem (nom. subserviens), prp. of subservire "assist, lend support," from sub "under" + servire "serve." The meaning "slavishly obedient" is first recorded 1794.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Cite This Source
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