1
as in subordinate
very willing to obey someone else
She was an equal partner in the marriage and not a subservient wife.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in secondary
having a less important role, job, or place as something else
The employees used to build things by hand but now were subservient to automated equipment that handled much of production.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of subservient
Created by Alex Horne, who plays the subservient assistant in the episodes, the show has a unique talent for mining comedy from complete mundanity and inanity, and somehow gets more creative with each passing season.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Some criticized the image for promoting a regressive characterization of a subservient woman.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
Their days are fully structured so they are used to being subservient.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
In addition, the portrayal of the cultural setup between the dominant Alba and subservient Colorata is handled in a refreshingly non-preachy manner.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subservient
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Some criticized the image for promoting a regressive characterization of a subservient woman.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
Their days are fully structured so they are used to being subservient.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
In addition, the portrayal of the cultural setup between the dominant Alba and subservient Colorata is handled in a refreshingly non-preachy manner.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subservient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subservient
Adjective
-
There can never again be a DED, even if Sherrill promises that Roehrenbeck will be subordinate to Garcia.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The inspector general's investigation found that Reece and Ruff — who were supervisor and subordinate — did not disclose their romantic relationship, which is a violation of a city executive order.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Released in 2023, the watch originally retailed for $61,500, but now costs over $150,000 on the secondary market.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Louisville Metro Police officers are now banned from working secondary jobs for the suburb of Worthington Hills.—
Josh Wood,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The audience would do well to stay attuned to this goal — and how obedient Nat is willing to be.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The Intelligence Age doesn’t require obedient workers.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2020, Petershill was an anchor investor of Arctos’ first fund and received a passive, non-voting minority interest in the firm, according to a Fried Frank statement announcing the investment.—
Luisa Beltran,
Sportico.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Officials said that, due to the bait dogs’ more generally passive nature, they are used to provoke aggressive dogs to attack them in the lead up to the violent animal entering a fight, which people then bet on.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subservient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subservient. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
