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• service
  service

  noun

  an act of helpful activity; help; aid.
• Service
  Service

  noun

  Robert W(illiam), 1874–1958, Canadian writer, born in England.

service

¹ American  

[sur-vis] / ˈsɜr vɪs /

noun

1. an act of helpful activity; help; aid.

   to do someone a service.

2. the supplying or supplier of utilities or commodities, as water, electricity, or gas, required or demanded by the public.

3. the providing or a provider of accommodation and activities required by the public, as maintenance, repair, etc..

   The manufacturer guarantees service and parts.

4. the organized system of apparatus, appliances, employees, etc., for supplying some accommodation required by the public.

   a television repair service.

5. the supplying or a supplier of public communication and transportation: bus service.

   telephone service;

   bus service.

6. the performance of duties or the duties performed as or by a waiter or servant; occupation or employment as a waiter or servant.

7. employment in any duties or work for a person, organization, government, etc.

8. a department of public employment, an administrative division of a government, or the body of public servants in it.

   the diplomatic service.

9. the duty or work of public servants.

10. the serving of a sovereign, state, or government in some official capacity.

11. Military.

    1. the armed forces.

       in the service.

    2. a branch of the armed forces, as the army or navy.

       Which service were you in during the war?

12. Ordnance. the actions required in loading and firing a cannon.

    service of the piece.

13. Often services the performance of any duties or work for another; helpful or professional activity.

    medical services.

14. something made or done by a commercial organization for the public benefit and without regard to direct profit.

    Certain books are published at a loss as a public service.

15. Also called divine service. public religious worship according to prescribed form and order.

16. a ritual or form prescribed for public worship or for some particular occasion.

    the marriage service.

17. the serving of God by obedience, piety, etc..

    voluntary service.

18. a musical setting of the sung portions of a liturgy.

19. a set of dishes, utensils, etc., for general table use or for particular use.

    a tea service;

    service for eight.

20. answering service.

21. Law. the serving of a process or writ upon a person.

22. Nautical. tarred spun yarn or other small stuff for covering the exterior of a rope.

23. (in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.)

    1. the act or manner of putting the ball or shuttlecock into play; serve.

    2. the ball or shuttlecock as put into play.

24. the mating of a female animal with the male.

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adjective

1. of service; useful.

2. of, relating to, or used by servants, delivery people, etc., or in serving food.

   service stairs;

   the service pieces in a set of dishes.

3. supplying aids or services rather than products or goods.

   Medicine is one of the service professions.

4. supplying maintenance and repair.

   He operates a service center for electrical appliances.

5. of, for, or pertaining to the armed forces of a country or one of them.

   a service academy.

6. charged for providing service.

   a service fee of 15 percent on the restaurant check.

7. providing, authorizing, or guaranteeing service: a service contract.

   a service industry;

   a service contract.

verb (used with object)

• services,
  present (3rd person singular)
• serviced,
  past participle,  past
• servicing
  present participle

1. to make fit for use; repair; restore to condition for service.

   to service an automobile.

2. to supply with aid, information, or other incidental services.

3. (of a male animal) to mate with (a female animal).

4. Finance. to pay off (a debt) over a period of time, as by meeting periodic interest payments.

idioms

1. at someone's service, ready to be of help or use to someone; at one's disposal.

   You will have an English-speaking guide at your service.

2. be of service, to be helpful or useful.

   If we can be of service, do not hesitate to call.

service ² American  

[sur-vis] / ˈsɜr vɪs /

noun

1. a European or North American service tree, especially Sorbus domestica.

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Service ³ American  

[sur-vis] / ˈsɜr vɪs /

noun

1. Robert W(illiam), 1874–1958, Canadian writer, born in England.

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service ¹ British  

/ ˈsɜːvɪs /

noun

1. an act of help or assistance

2. an organized system of labour and material aids used to supply the needs of the public

   telephone service

   bus service

3. the supply, installation, or maintenance of goods carried out by a dealer

4. the state of availability for use by the public (esp in the phrases into or out of service )

5. a periodic overhaul made on a car, machine, etc

6. the act or manner of serving guests, customers, etc, in a shop, hotel, restaurant, etc

7. a department of public employment and its employees

   civil service

8. employment in or performance of work for another

   he has been in the service of our firm for ten years

9. the work of a public servant

10. 1. one of the branches of the armed forces

    2. ( as modifier )

       service life

11. the state, position, or duties of a domestic servant (esp in the phrase in service )

12. the act or manner of serving food

13. a complete set of dishes, cups, etc, for use at table

14. public worship carried out according to certain prescribed forms

    divine service

15. the prescribed form according to which a specific kind of religious ceremony is to be carried out

    the burial service

16. a unified collection of musical settings of the canticles and other liturgical items prescribed by the Book of Common Prayer as used in the Church of England

17. sport

    1. the act, manner, or right of serving a ball

    2. Often shortened to: serve. the game in which a particular player serves

       he has lost his service

18. (in feudal law) the duty owed by a tenant to his lord

19. the serving of a writ, summons, etc, upon a person

20. nautical a length of tarred marline or small stuff used in serving

21. (of male animals) the act of mating

22. (modifier) of, relating to, or for the use of servants or employees

23. (modifier) serving the public rather than producing goods

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verb

1. to provide service or services

2. to make fit for use

3. to supply with assistance

4. to overhaul (a car, machine, etc)

5. (of a male animal) to mate with (a female)

6. to meet interest and capital payments on (debt)

Service ² British  

/ 'sɜːvɪs /

noun

1. Robert ( William ). 1874–1958, Canadian poet, born in England; noted for his ballad-like poems of gold-rush era Yukon, such as 'The Shooting of Dan McGrew'; his books include Songs of a Sourdough (1907)

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service ³ British  

/ ˈsɜːvɪs /

noun

1. See service tree

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service More Idioms  

1. see at someone's service; break someone's serve (service); lip service; of service to someone; press into service.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unserviced
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• servicing
  present
• serviced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• service
  simple
• services
  simple
• have serviced
  perfect
• has serviced
  perfect
• am servicing
  progressive
• are servicing
  progressive
• is servicing
  progressive
• have been servicing
  perfect progressive
• has been servicing
  perfect progressive

Past

• serviced
  simple
• had serviced
  perfect
• was servicing
  progressive
• were servicing
  progressive
• had been servicing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will service
  simple
• will have serviced
  perfect
• will be servicing
  progressive
• will have been servicing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of service¹

First recorded before 1100; Middle English (noun), from Old French, from Latin servitium “servitude,” equivalent to serv(us) “slave” + -itium noun suffix ( see -ice); replacing Middle English servise, late Old English serfise “ceremony,” from Old French servise, variant of service

Origin of service²

First recorded in 1520–30; earlier serves, plural of obsolete serve “service tree”; Middle English; Old English syrfe, from unattested Vulgar Latin sorbea, derivative of Latin sorbus sorb ¹

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Explanation

If you perform duties that help someone else, you're providing a service. If you make dinner for your neighbor's children while she's in the hospital, you're doing a good service. Service has many uses, all having to do with serving someone, or doing something for them. In a restaurant the waiter provides service, and if you do something nice for someone, you've done him a good service. If you're in someone's service that means you work for her. Service can also mean a verb meaning "to fix," like when the maintenance whiz services the photocopier, or the mechanic services your car. In church, a ceremony is also called a service.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

service Service services serviced servicing

The company’s only profitable business segment this year has been its space-based Wi-Fi service Starlink, which recorded $5.2 billion in operating profit on $12.8 billion in revenue in the first nine months of this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

Science Center President and Chief Executive Jeffrey N. Rudolph says there is hope to someday bring the building back into service, but that its small spaces, awkward circulation and constant leaking have made that difficult.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

Anthropic said it has taken steps in its terms of service to limit its liability for its models’ actions, but warned it could still be liable in some cases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

Some raised their upset at the fact the end-of-season decision had denied fans the chance to thank Anderson for his service to the county and celebrate his career.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Volunteers are trained for about three months before they are sent overseas for twenty-four months of service in several sectors.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

For decades, the park has been maintained by the Interior Department and National Park Service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

"We've seen a vast improvement," Darren Panniers of the Welsh Ambulance Service says.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

The National Weather Service says actual tides in Southern California are running 1.25 to 1.75 feet above what would expected from just the position of the Earth, sun and moon, given the hotter ocean temperatures.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

Last week the CDC sent a “disease detective” within the agency’s Epidemic Intelligence Service to Pennsylvania.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

Rondon was so passionate about protecting the native people of Brazil that in 1910 he helped set up the IndianProtection Service.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Premium and services revenue expectations remained unchanged at between $173 billion to $177 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Musk has contributed to this frenzy; the SpaceX prospectus issued before its initial public offering in June claimed that its products and services would have a “total addressable market” worth $28.5 trillion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

A spokesperson for the trust said that, following operational and workforce assessments, inpatient maternity care at Craigavon had been identified as the safest and most sustainable arrangement for maintaining services.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

“The whole country is feeling the pinch right now, so it’s not a surprise that affordability is a top priority,” Megan Wood, managing editor of home services and real estate at U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

Doody has no experience in social services or fundraising, but he won’t let that stop him.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Qantas is betting that so-called ultra long-haul routes serviced by more fuel-efficient planes will persuade customers to pay higher ticket prices for shorter overall travel times and greater comfort on newer craft.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Meanwhile, the market may also be becoming more concerned about the high budget deficits of many developed nations, which may need to be serviced by increased supply of debt.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

However, the figures did show a shift in where people stay, with the number of visitor days for serviced accommodation in East Lindsey falling from 856,000 in 2023 to 722,000 in 2025.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

We have all been there: You’re getting your car serviced, and the mechanic or agent says you need an expensive repair.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

It was a small port that serviced Imre, too small to have a name of its own.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

The table also includes ratios of price to tangible book value, which is book value net of intangible assets, such as goodwill and loan servicing rights.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026

In the second, yields rise, governments face trouble servicing their debts, investors worry others will sell, so they sell first.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Network designers, field support engineers, installers, all need to learn new skills around installation and servicing.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

These maneuvers are intended to test technologies that could eventually be used for in-space satellite servicing, including future missions in which one spacecraft approaches and works near another.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026

Leaving their driveway, the roads are dotted with trucks servicing electrical lines, no birds in sight.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

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