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.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of servility

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

Example Sentences

Human nature hasn’t changed enough since then to shield masses of people from being seduced and intimidated into servility and herd-like stampedes.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2025

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 • Oct. 9, 2022

But his comments during his interview with Hannity suggest that the toadying and servility Pence engaged in nearly every day as Trump’s vice president are difficult to shake.

From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2021

Privately, according to people who have observed his interactions with Trump, he treats the president with the sort of deference and servility more typical of a staff member than a cabinet member.

From New York Times • Sep. 29, 2020

Although Nabokov was the scion of a Russian noble family, he detested the class-bound servility ubiquitous in the land of his birth.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann