servile

adjective

ser·​vile ˈsər-vəl How to pronounce servile (audio)
-ˌvī(-ə)l
Synonyms of servilenext
1
: of or befitting a menial position
2
: meanly or cravenly submissive : abject
servilely
ˈsər-və(l)-lē How to pronounce servile (audio)
-ˌvī(-ə)l-lē
adverb
servileness
ˈsər-vəl-nəs How to pronounce servile (audio)
-ˌvī(-ə)l-
noun
servility
(ˌ)sər-ˈvi-lə-tē How to pronounce servile (audio)
noun

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Latin served us servile with the help of servilis, itself from servus, the Latin word for "slave." Servus is also an ancestor of serve, service, and servitude. Synonyms of servile in English include subservient, slavish, and obsequious. Subservient implies the cringing manner of someone who is very conscious of having a subordinate position. Slavish suggests abject or debased servitude. Obsequious implies fawning or sycophantic compliance and exaggerated deference of manner. Servile suggests the fawning behavior of one in forced servitude.

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of servile in a Sentence

had always maintained a servile attitude around people with money
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His co-stars, like Will Ferrell’s savage Mugatu, Owen Wilson’s stoner hottie Hansel, and Nathan Lee Graham’s servile Todd — all so precise and well-defined in the original’s ravelike milieu — are doomed to retrace their old steps here. —Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024 These officials could, in turn, redistribute some of their private goods among their own servile lieutenants, but the monarch retained ultimate power to grant or revoke their privileged status. —Serhiy Kudelia, Foreign Affairs, 27 Feb. 2014 That this was news was hard to believe, since complaints about servile female voices had been made not for years but for decades. —Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024 Some Hawaiian cultural experts say aloha is a complex and fluid idea, too often misconstrued as a sweet and servile way of tolerating visitors. —Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for servile 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French servil, borrowed from Latin servīlis "of a slave, slavish, abject," from servus "slave" + -īlis "pertaining to or characteristic of (such persons)" — more at serve entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of servile was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near servile

servigrous

servile

servilism

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Servile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/servile. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

servile

adjective
ser·​vile ˈsər-vəl How to pronounce servile (audio)
-ˌvīl
1
: of or appropriate to a menial position
2
: lacking spirit or independence : submissive
servilely
-və(l)-lē How to pronounce servile (audio)
-ˌvīl-lē
adverb
servility
(ˌ)sər-ˈvil-ət-ē How to pronounce servile (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on servile

Nglish: Translation of servile for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of servile for Arabic Speakers

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