servile

adjective

ser·​vile ˈsər-vəl 

-ˌvī(-ə)l

1

: of or befitting a menial position

2

: meanly or cravenly submissive : abject

servilely

ˈsər-və(l)-lē 

-ˌvī(-ə)l-lē

adverb

servileness

ˈsər-vəl-nəs 

-ˌvī(-ə)l-

noun

servility

(ˌ)sər-ˈvi-lə-tē 

noun

Did you know?

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

• abject
• base
• humble
• menial
• slavish

Examples of servile in a Sentence

had always maintained a servile attitude around people with money

Recent Examples on the Web

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

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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

servile

adjective

ser·​vile ˈsər-vəl 

-ˌvīl

1

: of or appropriate to a menial position

2

: lacking spirit or independence : submissive

servilely

-və(l)-lē 

-ˌvīl-lē

adverb

servility

(ˌ)sər-ˈvil-ət-ē 

noun