Subservient

  • 1subservient — 1 *auxiliary, subsidiary, contributory, ancillary, adjuvant, accessory Analogous words: *subordinate, secondary, dependent, subject 2 Subservient, servile, slavish, menial, obsequious can mean showing or characterized by extreme compliance or… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 2Subservient — Sub*serv i*ent, a. [L. subserviens, entis, p. pr. See {Subserve}.] Fitted or disposed to subserve; useful in an inferior capacity; serving to promote some end; subordinate; hence, servile, truckling. [1913 Webster] Scarce ever reading anything… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3subservient — UK US /səbˈsɜːviənt/ adjective ► willing to do what another person, organization, etc. wants, and considering your aims or wishes to be less important than those of others: »a subservient position/role subservient to sb/sth »Critics say the… …

    Financial and business terms

  • 4subservient — [adj1] extremely compliant abject, acquiescent, a slave to*, at one’s beck and call*, at one’s mercy*, bootlicking, cowering, cringing, dancing, deferential, docile, fawning, ignoble, inferior, in one’s clutches*, in one’s pocket*, in one’s… …

    New thesaurus

  • 5subservient — I adjective abject, accessory, adjuvant, aidful, aiding, ancillary, auxiliary, base, contributory, cringing, deferential, dependent, enslaved, fawning, helpful, inferior, ingratiating, junior, lesser, lower, menial, ministrant, obedient, obeisant …

    Law dictionary

  • 6subservient — (adj.) 1630s, useful, serviceable, from L. subservientem (nom. subserviens), prp. of subservire assist, lend support, from sub under (see SUB (Cf. sub )) + servire serve (see SERVE (Cf. serve)). The meaning slavishly obedient …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 7subservient — ► ADJECTIVE 1) prepared to obey others unquestioningly; obsequious. 2) less important; subordinate. DERIVATIVES subservience noun …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8subservient — [səb sʉr′vēənt] adj. [L subserviens, prp. of subservire, to SUBSERVE] 1. that is useful, helpful, or of service, esp. in an inferior or subordinate capacity 2. submissive; obsequious subserviently adv …

    English World dictionary

  • 9subservient — sub|ser|vi|ent [səbˈsə:viənt US ˈsə:r ] adj [Date: 1600 1700; : Latin; Origin: , present participle of subservire to serve, be subservient , from servire to serve ] 1.) always obeying another person and doing everything they want you to do used… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 10subservient — adjective Etymology: Latin subservient , subserviens, present participle of subservire Date: circa 1626 1. useful in an inferior capacity ; subordinate 2. serving to promote some end 3. obsequiously submissive ; truckling • subserviently adverb …

    New Collegiate Dictionary