servility

American  

[sur-vil-i-tee] / ˌsɜrˈvɪl ɪ ti /

Rarely servileness

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.

3. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• nonservileness noun
• nonservility noun
• overservileness noun
• overservility noun

Etymology

Origin of servility

First recorded in 1525–35; servil(e) ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

Of special concern were college students accepting tips at summer jobs, because this marked them for “servility.”

From National Geographic

They learned that there was no way to avoid that short of total servility and deference.

From Salon

The abject servility with which Pierce’s Willy rushes to retrieve the lighter that Howard has dropped on the floor, speaks volumes about powerlessness.

From Los Angeles Times

It isn’t luck, pluck or happy coincidence that propels Balram from his ragged beginnings to sleek triumph, but cunning, desperation and a coldbloodedness that can masquerade as servility.

From New York Times

The vice president’s break with Trump marked his first and only complete public rupture from the president whom he had served loyally — sometimes to the point of servility — for the past four years.

From Washington Post