Skip to main content
service

service

367 4.2
A religious meeting for public worship, often in a church
  • noun
  • /ˈsɜrvɪs/
translation icon : servicio religioso
  • So can I tell you yesterday I went to a memorial service for a friend of mine.
  • attend services
  • a church service
  • a religious service

Well, I went to Rosh Hashanah services yesterday.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • My own little church service.

  • Some of the churches even held services outside the town limits.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Hope to see you at the service on Sunday.

  • There's a memorial service tomorrow.

  • Colin Mahmoud On Saturday I attended the service at the Birmingham Cathedral.

  • Jake, will you ask pastor Tinsley to start this morning's prayer service?

  • We hold services nightly.

  • Yesterday, I attended a memorial service to honor a friend's memory.

  • The community gathered for a funeral service at the local church to pay their respects.

  • A special service was held on Sunday to celebrate the anniversary of the historic event.

Synonyms

ceremony
vsservice
901 2.5

A formal event that follows traditional rules for a special occasion

is the public worship event specifically oriented to religious practice
church
vsservice
305 1.0

A religious service for Christians

is the general public worship act, not the specific location or building
rite
vsservice
  • Formal
124 6.3

A formal ceremony often held as part of a religious tradition

is the public act of worship that can contain this ceremonial act
celebration
vsservice
  • Specialized
75 3.7

A public religious ceremony with formal rituals

is the general public worship action that may include such sacraments
office
vsservice
  • Specialized
31 9.0

A church service that follows set words and actions

is the general public worship event not limited to official prescriptions
liturgy
vsservice
26 8.9

A planned public worship service with fixed prayers and actions

is broader, naming the public worship event rather than the fixed form
church service
vsservice
19 2.1

A meeting in a church where people pray, sing, and listen to a talk

is the general public worship event that can occur in any place
chapel
vsservice
12 3.5

A short religious service often held at a school

is the public worship action rather than the particular institutional setting
prayer service
vsservice
8 3.0

A religious meeting where people talk to God and sing songs

is the broader public worship event that includes more varied acts
religious ceremony
vsservice
8 2.9

A formal event where people meet to show shared beliefs with prayers and rituals

is the public communal worship action that may include that form
observance
vsservice
  • Formal
6 4.7

A formal event to mark or honor a special day

is the general public act of worship rather than a commemorative event
religious service
vsservice
5 2.8

A public event where people pray, sing, and listen in a church or temple

is the general public worship event described by that formal conduct
religious ritual
vsservice
4 4.2

A ceremony with set actions from a religion like prayers and singing

is the public worship event that may use those traditional actions
religious rite
vsservice
2 4.1

A formal ceremony that people follow as part of a religion

is the public worship event that may include such prescribed actions
devotional
vsservice
1 7.4

A short religious service often for private prayer

is the public communal worship event rather than a brief private exercise
divine service
vsservice
1 7.4

A public ceremony in a church where people pray and sing

is the general term for that same rule‑guided public worship
chapel service
vsservice
1 4.5

A short religious meeting in a small church with prayers and songs

is the broader public worship event not tied to a small chapel setting
Christian liturgy
vsservice
7.2

A set way churches use for worship with prayers and hymns

is the general public worship act, not limited to Christian prescribed forms
ceremonial mass
vsservice
  • Formal
6.1

A formal church service with set ceremonies and a serious mood

is the general public act of worship that may be less specific

Antonyms

143 4.7

Not connected with religion, about everyday and public life

Idioms

Not working or available to use, often for a short time

Compounds

381 3.4

A United States government group that protects the president and vice president and investigates fake money

Unpaid work to help people in the local area, sometimes required by law or done for charity

Programs that help people who need support

Work for the government to help people

A part of a country's armed forces, like the army or navy

Help the government gives to people, like schools or hospitals

intelligence service
  • Specialized
33 3.0

A group that gathers and studies secret information for a government

A United States government agency that gives weather forecasts and warnings

24 1.1

A service that lets people make and receive calls

lip service
  • Informal
20 4.7

Saying you support something without doing anything to help

civil service
  • Formal
19 3.0

Government workers who run public services, are not in the military or courts, and are usually chosen by exams

A meeting in a church where people pray, sing, and listen to a talk

Part of the economy that provides services instead of making things, like hotels or hospitals

18 3.8

A part of the U.S. government that collects federal taxes and makes sure people follow tax laws

18 3.6

A United States government group that manages national parks, monuments, and protected places

15 4.1

A level where staff do many things for customers, like pumping gas or helping at a hotel

14 4.4

The part of the United States Department of State with diplomats who work in embassies and consulates abroad

wire service
  • Literature
13 3.9

A company that collects news and sends it to newspapers or TV stations

A place where people fill cars with fuel and get small repairs

service elevator
  • Specialized
11 3.4

An elevator that staff use to move things like large boxes between floors

10 1.0

Buses that run regularly on set routes to carry people

A system that sends and delivers letters and packages

service entrance
  • Specialized
10 3.4

An entrance at the back of a building used by staff, for deliveries, or to take out rubbish

A religious meeting where people talk to God and sing songs

A system that lets people make and receive phone calls

A former United States government office that handled immigration and becoming a citizen

A fixed time when citizens must join the armed forces

A business that provides services like event planning or computer work to other companies for a fee

5 3.0

A company that does work for people or other companies for money

The part of a company that helps customers with problems and fixes products

Help or attention from staff that is very good for customers

A matching set of plates, knives, and sometimes glasses that you use to serve a formal meal

A public event where people pray, sing, and listen in a church or temple

5 3.2

A small road that runs next to a main road and gives access to homes and shops

4 3.0

A service that people need for health, safety and daily care, like healthcare or water

4 4.0

A written agreement to fix or care for a product for a set time

A service that gives expert advice to people or companies

4 2.8

A way for customers to pick and pay for items without staff help

3 3.8

A government office that checks and taxes goods entering a country

3 5.8

A United States system that registers men and can require them to join the military

3 2.7

A place on a highway where travelers stop for fuel, food, and toilets

3 3.5

A government agency in the United Kingdom that protects the country from spies and other internal threats

3 3.3

A visit by a technician to fix or check equipment at a customer's place

3 2.7

An extra charge added to a bill to pay for staff help

3 2.4

A set of matching cups, teapot, and dishes used to serve tea

A government agency that delivers letters and packages across the United States

A government service that collects, sorts, and delivers mail across the United States

A high military medal given to United States Army soldiers for very brave actions in battle

An extra amount added to a bill to pay for the staff who served you

2 8.9

Land given to someone in return for serving in a lord's army

People who work at a place doing cleaning, fixing and helping customers

service program
  • Specialized
2 4.2

A piece of software that runs in the background to help other apps or the system

A government group that protects the US president, vice president, their families, visiting leaders, and stops people making fake money

1 1.0

An official system that sends letters and packages between places, often run by the government

A service that helps people stay healthy and get better when sick

Government officials who represent their country abroad, for example ambassadors

A college or university program that gives classes and advice to people who are not regular students

A government group in Iraq that gathers secret information and runs secret operations to protect the country

1 3.5

A door at the back used by workers for deliveries and trash

A website or app that helps people connect and share messages and photos

A person or company that gives expert advice to help people make decisions

1 1.9

A quick help that has very little waiting time

The main agency in Russia that handles security inside the country and spying

The time someone has worked for a company or in a job there

1 2.1

A company that supplies gas to homes and businesses

A US government agency that registers men for possible military service

1 3.2

A person who repairs machines or home appliances

1 8.4

The act of giving legal papers to someone to start a court case

A small, highly trained group of British soldiers who do secret, dangerous missions

A US government agency that protects wild animals, fish, and their habitats

A United States government agency that protects the president, other top officials, and investigates money crimes

A service that sends TV programs to homes through cables

A group that protects children and gives them social help and job training

How Formal

rite
  • Formal
124 6.3
liturgy
26 8.9
service
367 4.2
ceremony
901 2.5
gathering
203 1.0

Surface Forms

service singular
services plural

Morphology

service = serve (opaque) = serv + ice

Although historically related to serving God, the meaning 'religious ceremony' is a conventional specialized sense that learners are unlikely to derive from 'serve'.

Etymology

Service (religious) comes from the idea of 'serving' the divine, from Latin servire 'to serve', so a church 'service' is a time when people gather to honor or worship and show their duty to their faith.