servant

noun

ser·​vant ˈsər-vənt 

: one that serves others

a public servant

especially : one that performs duties for another as a personal or domestic attendant

servanthood

ˈsər-vənt-ˌhu̇d 

noun

servantless adjective

Synonyms of servant

• steward
• maid
• housekeeper
• butler
• lackey

Examples of servant in a Sentence

the wealthy family had servants to clean and cook for them

Recent Examples on the Web

Raised by servants and educated by an uncle, Sade was a spoiled child with a temper and a taste for rebellion. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Protecting the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is essential to ensuring America can continue recruiting and retaining the public servants our communities depend on. — Verna L. Williams, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

Some of the long time lag reflected the vagaries and limitations of travel in the mid-19th century, when moving family, servants, and belongings via horse and buggy in the winter months made a longer period necessary. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026

Damon leads Christopher Nolan’s epic as Odysseus, while Leguizamo plays the hero’s faithful blind servant, Eumaeus. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026

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