servility

[ sur-vil-i-tee ]
See synonyms for servility on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the quality of being slavishly submissive or fawning: The place was full of florists and decorators, all striving to outdo each other in servility to the bride-to-be.

  2. the quality of being extremely imitative or unoriginal, especially in the arts: Servility to a French European tradition may explain why these 19th-century poets failed to leave a mark on French Canada’s literary history.

  1. the state or condition of being a slave or servant: Under Guru Nanak, a people who had lived for centuries in total servility became valiant warriors against their oppressors.

Origin of servility

1
First recorded in 1525–35; servil(e) + -ity
  • Rarely ser·vile·ness [sur-vil-nis, -vahyl-] /ˈsɜr vɪl nɪs, -vaɪl-/ .

Other words from servility

  • non·ser·vile·ness, noun
  • non·ser·vil·i·ty, noun
  • o·ver·ser·vile·ness, noun
  • o·ver·ser·vil·i·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use servility in a sentence

  • Finally, I am careful to wound no mans feelings, and that without servileness or popularity-hunting.

    History of Julius Caesar Vol. 1 of 2 | Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, 1808-1873.