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servant

servant

165 1.0
A person who helps a larger group or leader by doing needed work
  • noun
  • /ˈsɜrvənt/
translation icon : servidor
  • As a humble servant of the Almighty, I will follow His will.
  • civil servant
  • public servant
  • servant of God

Money is a great servant but a bad master.

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Examples

  • So we may continue to be thy faithful servants.

  • The servant diligently prepared the meals for the entire family and kept the house tidy.

  • Being a servant in life is a beautiful thing, all right?

  • In this respect, as in all others, the Council was the servant of the Assembly.

  • Even a servant knows you should treat everyone with kindness and respect.

  • And you can't be the best teacher or servant or human being.

  • As an actor, a musician and a loyal and very humble servant of the club.

  • Said he was given aid by a servant in a prominent Quaker household.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Yes, we're all humble servants to the CW in our family, by the grace of God.

  • Ray Court, a prematurely white-haired career civil servant, raises the window shade.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

man
vsservant
623 5.5

A male servant or helper who works for someone

is gender neutral and applies to any person or thing that serves
maid
vsservant
264 1.0

A woman paid to clean and cook in another person's home

is the general label for anyone serving or subordinate
butler
vsservant
161 3.7

A man who manages the staff in a large house and serves meals

is more general and does not imply management duties
housekeeper
vsservant
110 1.1

A person who manages household chores and keeps the home clean

is a general label for someone who serves, not a managerial title
valet
vsservant
39 6.0

A person who helps someone dress and care for their clothes

is broader and includes any service role beyond personal attendance
subordinate
vsservant
38 4.6

A person with a lower job rank who follows another's orders

is about lower rank or position rather than the act of serving
civil servant
vsservant
35 2.7

A person who works for a government department in a long-term job and is not elected

is the broader social role of serving others, not limited to government
domestic
vsservant
  • UK
14 5.8

A person who works in a home doing cleaning and cooking

is more general, covering all who serve not only household workers
manservant
vsservant
  • Archaic
11 7.4

A man who works in someone's house doing jobs like cleaning and helping with meals

is gender neutral and covers all who serve others
retainer
vsservant
  • Archaic
8 7.0

A person who works for a family in the home, often as a servant

is the general label for anyone serving or subordinate
servant girl
vsservant
  • Archaic
7 3.5

A young woman who works in a house to help with chores

is the neutral term for a person serving regardless of age
lackey
vsservant
  • Offensive
5 9.0

A man who works as a servant in a rich house and obeys orders

is neutral and does not imply servile behaviour or tone
handmaiden
vsservant
  • Literature
4 7.7

A person or thing that helps and supports something more important

is the wider term for any person or thing that serves
lady's maid
vsservant
  • Archaic
3 8.6

A woman who works as a servant to help another woman get dressed and look tidy

is broader and includes all kinds of service work
maidservant
vsservant
  • Archaic
3 7.1

A woman who works in a home doing cleaning and cooking

is gender neutral and applies to any person who serves
house servant
vsservant
1 2.3

A person who works in a home doing cleaning, cooking and other daily tasks

is a broader term including any person who serves another
serving girl
vsservant
  • Archaic
1 5.1

A girl or young woman who works in a home doing chores

is the general category for anyone who serves another
handmaid
vsservant
  • Archaic
1 7.9

Something that helps and supports a more important person or idea

is broader and covers primary and secondary serving roles alike
valet de chambre
vsservant
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A man who cares for a person's clothes and personal needs in a house or court

is a general term for persons who serve without specific role
body servant
vsservant
1 9.4

A person who helps someone dress and bathe every day

covers all serving roles not limited to personal attendance
bondservant
vsservant
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person who must work for another person by law, often like a servant in the past

is general and does not imply legal bondage or slavery
servingman
vsservant
  • Archaic
9.9

A man who works in a home to serve and help people

is the modern, neutral term for someone who serves another
underbutler
vsservant
  • Archaic
8.8

A servant who helps the head servant in a large house

is the broad category for anyone serving another person or power
bond servant
vsservant
  • Archaic
9.9

A person forced to work without pay for someone else

is a neutral term that does not include forced service

Antonyms

1.0

A person in charge of a group or workers

3.7

A person in charge of a group or place

Compounds

A person who works for the government, elected or appointed

35 2.7

A person who works for a government department in a long-term job and is not elected

servant girl
  • Archaic
7 3.5

A young woman who works in a house to help with chores

A person who works in a home doing cleaning, cooking and other daily tasks

1 9.4

A person who helps someone dress and bathe every day

bond servant
  • Archaic
9.9

A person forced to work without pay for someone else

How Submissive

slave
746 3.4
yes-man
  • Offensive
4 8.1
submitter
5.6
servant
165 1.0
follower
295 1.6
subordinate
38 4.6

Surface Forms

servant singular
servants plural

Morphology

servant = serve (transparent) = serve + ant

Productive agentive formation: 'serve' + '-ant' yields 'one who serves' or more broadly 'one in a subordinate/serving role', which learners can infer.

Etymology

Servant comes from the Latin word servus meaning 'slave' and is the same root as serve and service. So a servant can also mean someone in a lower position who 'serves' a greater power or the public, which is why we speak of the government as a 'servant' of the people.