subservient

American  

[suhb-sur-vee-uhnt] / səbˈsɜr vi ənt /

adjective

1. serving or acting in a subordinate capacity; subordinate.

2. excessively submissive; servile; obsequious.

   subservient persons;

   subservient conduct.

3. useful in promoting a purpose or end.

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subservient British  

/ səbˈsɜːvɪənt /

adjective

1. obsequious in behaviour or attitude

2. serving as a means to an end

3. a less common word for subordinate

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Other Word Forms

• subservience
  noun
• subserviency
  noun
• unsubservient
  adjective
• subserviently
  adverb
• unsubserviently
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of subservient

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin subservient- (stem of subserviēns, present participle of subservīre “to serve as a subordinate”; see subserve), equivalent to sub- prefix meaning “under, below, beneath, etc.” + servi-, stem of servīre “to serve” + -ent noun and adjective suffix; see sub-, serve, -ent

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Explanation

Subservient means "compliant," "obedient," "submissive," or having the qualities of a servant. Something that's subservient has been made useful, or put into the service of, something else. Our word subservient is unusual because it actually comes from the Latin word of exactly the same spelling and almost the identical meaning — "subjecting to" or "complying with." Usually words change a little in spelling or meaning when they are adopted from another language, but this one did not. Maybe the word subservient seemed so subservient that it could comply with the rules of any language!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

subservient

We should neither be wholly distrustful of expertise nor subservient to it without critical challenge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

We decline to think like machines or be subservient to machines.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

There is evidence that opinion appears to be changing as fans find out what it means to be the perceived subservient partner.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

"Like Musharraf, he has a subservient prime minister and the authority to reshape the army's structure," he said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025

The way my mother always explained it, the traditional man wants a woman to be subservient, but he never falls in love with subservient women.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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Related Words

• deferential
• submissive

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