subservient

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /səbˈsɝviənt/ UK /səbˈsɜːviənt/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
excessively willing to obey or serve others; subordinate

He resented being expected to play a subservient role to his younger partner.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · excessively willing to obey... servile obsequious submissive deferential compliant subordinate menial

Opposites

domineering dominant authoritative independent

Word family

Forms subservience

Derived forms subservientlysubservience

Related forms serve servant servile subserve

Etymology

From Latin subservientem, present participle of subservīre ('to serve under, comply'), from sub- ('under') + servīre ('to serve'), from servus ('slave').

sub Latin servīre Latin servus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# subservient

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** səbˈsɝviənt
**IPA (UK):** səbˈsɜːviənt

## Meanings
1. excessively willing to obey or serve others; subordinate

## Examples
- He resented being expected to play a subservient role to his younger partner.

## Synonyms
- servile
- obsequious
- submissive
- deferential
- compliant
- subordinate
- menial

## Antonyms
- domineering
- dominant
- authoritative
- independent

## Derived Forms
- subserviently
- subservience

## Related Forms
- serve
- servant
- servile
- subserve

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: sub
- Root: servīre
- Root: servus

## Etymology
From Latin subservientem, present participle of subservīre ('to serve under, comply'), from sub- ('under') + servīre ('to serve'), from servus ('slave').

## AI Etymology
Subservient is from Latin subservientem, present participle of subservīre ('to serve under, comply'), from sub- ('under') + servīre ('to serve'), from servus ('slave'). Important recorded forms include sub (Latin), servīre (Latin), and servus (Latin). Morphologically, the sub- element contributes the sense of under, below, secondary status, or movement from beneath, with the base naming the field of application. The modern sense continues the older lexical line without requiring a separate origin. In current use it covers excessively willing to obey or serve others; subordinate. The wider family includes derived forms such as subserviently and subservience and related words such as serve, servant, servile, and subserve.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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subservient

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