menial

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmiːni.əl/ See IPA manual

Freq #31592

Meanings

1

adj
Describing work that is boring, low in status, and needs little skill.

She started out doing menial tasks like cleaning and filing.
2

noun
A servant who does humble or low-status work.

The lord treated his menials harshly and paid them almost nothing.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · describing work that is... humble

Word family

Forms menials

Derived forms menialismmenialitymenializemeniallynonmenialunmenial

Related forms maisonmaisonette mansion menage

Etymology

From Middle English meyneal, from Anglo-Norman mesnal, from maisnee (“household”), from Vulgar Latin *mānsiōnāta, from Latin mānsiō (“house”).

meyneal Middle English mesnal xno *mānsiōnāta la-vul mānsiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# menial

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmiːni.əl/
**Frequency rank:** 31592

## Meanings
1. Describing work that is boring, low in status, and needs little skill.
2. A servant who does humble or low-status work.

## Examples
- She started out doing menial tasks like cleaning and filing.
- The lord treated his menials harshly and paid them almost nothing.

## Derived Forms
- menialism
- meniality
- menialize
- menially
- nonmenial
- unmenial

## Related Forms
- maison
- maisonette
- mansion
- menage

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: meyneal
- Root: mesnal
- Root: *mānsiōnāta
- Root: mānsiō

## Etymology
From Middle English meyneal, from Anglo-Norman mesnal, from maisnee (“household”), from Vulgar Latin *mānsiōnāta, from Latin mānsiō (“house”).

## AI Etymology
Menial is from Middle English meyneal, from Anglo-Norman mesnal, from maisnee (“household”), from Vulgar Latin *mānsiōnāta, from Latin mānsiō (“house”). Important recorded forms include meyneal (Middle English), mesnal (xno), *mānsiōnāta (la-vul), and mānsiō (Latin). Current senses include describing work that is boring, low in status, and needs little skill and a servant who does humble or low-status work. The wider family includes derived forms such as menialism, meniality, menialize, menially, and nonmenial; related words such as maison, maisonette, mansion, and menage.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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menial

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