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:
The civil servant from Cardiff used the money towards a house deposit earlier this year with her partner.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 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
Government spending, including civil servant bonuses and social assistance, helped underpin consumption, while investment was driven by infrastructure projects under national priority programs, the central bank noted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Those who were on leave were told the plans would already be under way by the time they returned, according to a senior civil servant familiar with the discussions.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
When the courses were served, a servant came around with wine.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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
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
Civil servants are being asked if they would like to relocate to the north west of England.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
A few unfortunate servants were tossing fat gold coins into the street, warding off the pixies as best they could.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
