Word
subservient
Phoneticssub·servient
US/səbˈsɝviənt/
UK/sʌbsˈɜːviənt/
Definition
adj. behaving in a way that shows you are very willing to obey or help someone else. It describes someone who does not act independently and instead follows orders.
adj. characterised by a willingness to obey or serve others; lacking independence. Often used to describe a person's attitude toward a superior or a system.
Examples
“He was very subservient to his boss's every request.”
“The assistant was so subservient that she never offered her own opinions during the meeting.”
“The novel explores the psychological toll of a subservient personality in a hierarchical society where individual agency is systematically suppressed by institutional power.”
Examples
simple
“He was very subservient to his boss's every request.”
contextual
“The assistant was so subservient that she never offered her own opinions during the meeting.”
complex
“The novel explores the psychological toll of a subservient personality in a hierarchical society where individual agency is systematically suppressed by institutional power.”
Real-World Examples
“For some Muslim intellectuals and travelers, Japan’s modernization and its victory over Russia was proof that Asian nations need not be subservient to Europe or abandon their own cultural traditions.” “We decline to think like machines or be subservient to machines.” Etymology
From Latin subserviens, present active of subservio (“to serve under”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/subservient