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

Dirden played the bombastic Pozzo, a traveler who crosses paths with the pair, while Michael Patrick Thornton portrayed his servant, Lucky. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026

One is a military veteran who pitches himself as a lifelong civic servant and recently tossed his name in the hat. —Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 1 June 2026

Pamela, a servant, rejects the advances of her wealthy employer and thereby induces him to marry her. —Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

In Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana, jogti hijras, jogins, or jogappas are trans women who devote themselves in temples as special servants to the goddess Yellamma. —Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 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