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

• steward
• maid
• housekeeper
• butler
• flunkey
• lackey

Examples of servant in a Sentence

the wealthy family had servants to clean and cook for them

Recent Examples on the Web

In the 1841 census, fourteen people were living in the farmhouse, nine of them children, three servants. —Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025

Well done, good and faithful servant. —Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025

On this level is a double-height living room, a double-height dining room, and a double-height library, as well as a study, the kitchen, service pantries, and the servants’ hall. —Robert Khederian, Curbed, 17 Sep. 2025

Upstairs, Downstairs focused on the Bellamy family and their servants in a London townhouse in the early 1900s. —Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for servant

• fervent
• maidservant
• manservant
• observant

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