servant

noun

ser·​vant ˈsər-vənt 

: one that serves others

a public servant

especially : one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer

servanthood

ˈsər-vənt-ˌhu̇d 

noun

servantless adjective

Synonyms

• daily [British]
• domestic
• flunky
• flunkey
• flunkie
• lackey
• menial
• retainer
• steward

Examples of servant in a Sentence

the wealthy family had servants to clean and cook for them

Recent Examples on the Web

Similarly, Isaiah is portraying Jews as loyal servants of the Lord, with no other master. —Gustavo Morello, The Conversation, 10 July 2024

Muhammad would later frame Mack and his family’s journey as a Sodom and Gomorrah-esque scene where angels warned a faithful servant to leave the wicked city and not look back before God unleashed his wrath. —Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2024

But, tensions and class struggles keep everyone, including the servants, on edge, all leading up to a mysterious murder. —Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2024

Singh Barwani points out a discreet teak bar with a servant’s seat tucked in the back of a 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom ordered by the Maharaja of Darbhanga; it was built for a princess who craved a nightly cocktail even though her mother-in-law had forbidden alcohol inside the palace. —Christopher Bagley, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English servant, sarvaunt "person serving a master or lord, retainer, attendant," borrowed from Anglo-French, noun derivative from past participle of servir "to be in attendance on, serve entry 1"

Note: Compare sergeant.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing servant

• bond servant
• civil servant
• fellow servant
• indentured servant
• public servant

Kids Definition

servant

noun

ser·​vant ˈsər-vənt 

: one that serves others

especially : a person hired to perform household or personal services

Etymology

Middle English servant "servant," from early French servant (same meaning), from a form of servir "to serve," from Latin servire "to be a slave, serve," from servus "slave, servant" — related to serf

Legal Definition

servant

noun

ser·​vant

: a person who serves others: as

a

: an individual who performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer

b

: a person in the employ and subject to the direction or control of an individual or company see also respondeat superior compare agent, master