: a person doing menial work
specifically
: a domestic (see domestic entry 1 sense 4) servant or retainer (see retainer entry 1 sense 1a)
Synonyms
Examples of menial in a Sentence
Adjective
every command was obeyed in the menial manner of someone who seemed grateful just to be in the presence of a celebrity
Noun
immigrants to that country faced fierce prejudice and could expect to find work only as menials
Recent Examples on the Web
Richard Nieva, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
In fact, the vast majority of the it is spent walking around each locale, looking for ways to progress or solving minor puzzles and other menial tasks.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Outside the windowless offices, the anthropocene was over—somehow these hapless menials had missed its bang or its whimper—and the pre-human food chain was busy reasserting itself.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for menial 
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Adjective
Other announcements included an experimental coding agent called Jules, which uses AI to generate simple computer code and carry out menial software engineering tasks, like fixing bugs.
—Richard Nieva, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
In fact, the vast majority of the it is spent walking around each locale, looking for ways to progress or solving minor puzzles and other menial tasks.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
Artificial intelligence has been heralded for its ability to optimize tasks, from the menial to the more complex.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Outside the windowless offices, the anthropocene was over—somehow these hapless menials had missed its bang or its whimper—and the pre-human food chain was busy reasserting itself.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for menial
Dictionary Entries Near menial
Cite this Entry
“Menial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menial. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
menial
1 of 2 adjective
me·nial
ˈmē-nē-əl 
-nyəl
1
: of, relating to, or suitable for servants
2
: lacking interest or dignity
a menial task
menially
adverb
-ē
menial
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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