subservient
Use Subservient in a sentence
vi 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. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To subservient
00:10
Subservient
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
subservient (səbˈsɜːvɪənt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —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
Cite This Source
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
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
He's several hundred yards away in a clearing, commanding attention from more subservient members of his clan.
All the life in the book is not subservient to this tragedy.
Under many regimes, government subsidies have made the press politically subservient.
Their relationships with teachers and administrators were expected to be subservient.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
