subservient

subservient
[[t]səbsɜ͟ː(r)viənt[/t]]
1) ADJ-GRADED: oft ADJ to n If you are subservient, you do whatever someone wants you to do.

Her willingness to be subservient to her children isolated her.

Derived words:
subservience [[t]səbsɜ͟ː(r)viəns[/t]] N-UNCOUNT

...an austere regime stressing obedience and subservience to authority.

2) ADJ: v-link ADJ to n If you treat one thing as subservient to another, you treat it as less important than the other thing.

The woman's needs are seen as subservient to the group interest.


English dictionary. 2008.

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  • subservient — 1 *auxiliary, subsidiary, contributory, ancillary, adjuvant, accessory Analogous words: *subordinate, secondary, dependent, subject 2 Subservient, servile, slavish, menial, obsequious can mean showing or characterized by extreme compliance or… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Subservient — Sub*serv i*ent, a. [L. subserviens, entis, p. pr. See {Subserve}.] Fitted or disposed to subserve; useful in an inferior capacity; serving to promote some end; subordinate; hence, servile, truckling. [1913 Webster] Scarce ever reading anything… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • subservient — UK US /səbˈsɜːviənt/ adjective ► willing to do what another person, organization, etc. wants, and considering your aims or wishes to be less important than those of others: »a subservient position/role subservient to sb/sth »Critics say the… …   Financial and business terms

  • subservient — [adj1] extremely compliant abject, acquiescent, a slave to*, at one’s beck and call*, at one’s mercy*, bootlicking, cowering, cringing, dancing, deferential, docile, fawning, ignoble, inferior, in one’s clutches*, in one’s pocket*, in one’s… …   New thesaurus

  • subservient — I adjective abject, accessory, adjuvant, aidful, aiding, ancillary, auxiliary, base, contributory, cringing, deferential, dependent, enslaved, fawning, helpful, inferior, ingratiating, junior, lesser, lower, menial, ministrant, obedient, obeisant …   Law dictionary

  • subservient — (adj.) 1630s, useful, serviceable, from L. subservientem (nom. subserviens), prp. of subservire assist, lend support, from sub under (see SUB (Cf. sub )) + servire serve (see SERVE (Cf. serve)). The meaning slavishly obedient …   Etymology dictionary

  • subservient — ► ADJECTIVE 1) prepared to obey others unquestioningly; obsequious. 2) less important; subordinate. DERIVATIVES subservience noun …   English terms dictionary

  • subservient — [səb sʉr′vēənt] adj. [L subserviens, prp. of subservire, to SUBSERVE] 1. that is useful, helpful, or of service, esp. in an inferior or subordinate capacity 2. submissive; obsequious subserviently adv …   English World dictionary

  • subservient — sub|ser|vi|ent [səbˈsə:viənt US ˈsə:r ] adj [Date: 1600 1700; : Latin; Origin: , present participle of subservire to serve, be subservient , from servire to serve ] 1.) always obeying another person and doing everything they want you to do used… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • subservient — adjective Etymology: Latin subservient , subserviens, present participle of subservire Date: circa 1626 1. useful in an inferior capacity ; subordinate 2. serving to promote some end 3. obsequiously submissive ; truckling • subserviently adverb …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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