servant
Americannoun
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servants
plural
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a person employed by another, especially to perform domestic duties.
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a person in the service of another.
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a person employed by the government.
a public servant.
noun
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a person employed to work for another, esp one who performs household duties
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See public servant
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of servant
1175–1225; Middle English < Old French, noun use of present participle of servir to serve; see -ant
Explanation
A servant works at someone’s home, often doing lowly tasks. You might feel like a servant when your mom insists that you do the dishes before you can do anything fun, but think how she feels cooking dinner every day! If you’re a servant, you serve someone else. In that 1930s mystery novel, chances are the rich family had servants to set the table and do the laundry. Nowadays, calling someone who does those things a servant has an insulting connotation. If you think your hard work gets no respect, you might feel like a servant. But people who work for the government like to be called "public servants," because they serve the good of public and not themselves.
Vocabulary lists containing servant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Man, I’m not gonna be a good robot servant at all,” Howard says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
"The most important issues for me are the economy and cost of living," said civil servant Afolayan Abdullahi, 42, who said he intended to vote for Tinubu.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
The leading opposition candidate in last Thursday's presidential election, Brian Mundubile, was also found at the scene of the raid in the capital, Lusaka, according to the country's top civil servant Patrick Kangwa.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Civil servant and ruling party member Noel Urbina, 45, told AFP he does not believe Chavistas would endorse Rodriguez in a leadership contest -- a move which marks a break with the past, experts say.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
In the same scene, Andrea would change from a servant girl into a beautiful princess.
From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene
An energy department spokeswoman noted the government was offering a financing programme for civil servants, but fewer options exist for average Filipinos.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
The family owned vineyards and rental properties and employed multiple servants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
It remains to be seen what security vetting will be used for civil servants working with the National Committee.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
In a statement, a spokesperson for the DOJ said its attorneys are “dedicated public servants who represent the United States with integrity, in accordance with their ethical obligations and the law.”
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
All her responsibilities are inside it: Manage the servants.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
