service

1 an act of kind assistance performed many services for the charitable organization Synonyms benevolence, boon, courtesy, grace, indulgence, kindness, mercy, favor, turnRelated Words dispensation, waiver; advantage, benefit, blessing, godsend, manna; liberty, license (or licence), privilegeNear Antonyms hindrance, hurdle, impediment, interference, obstacle

2 the capacity for being useful for some purpose that broom is worn out beyond all service Synonyms account, avail, mileage, use, serviceability, serviceableness, usefulness, utilityRelated Words advantage, benefit, gain; aid, assistance, help; applicability, appropriateness, fitness, relevance; profit, value, worthNear Antonyms inapplicability, inappropriatenessAntonyms uselessness, worthlessness

3 the combined army, air force, and navy of a nation at the time the country had about a million men and women in the service Synonyms colors, military, armed forces, troopsRelated Words GIs (or GI's), men-at-arms, rank and file, servicemen, servicewomen, soldiers, soldiery; force; militia, reserves; armor, defense; gendarmerie (or gendarmery)Near Antonyms civilians, noncombatants

4 a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization the OSS, the nation's wartime intelligence service Synonyms agency, arm, branch, bureau, department, desk, office, divisionRelated Words subdepartment, subdivision