1
as in subordinate
very willing to obey someone else
She was an equal partner in the marriage and not a subservient wife.
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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.
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Recent Examples of subservient
It will not be subservient to the prime minister—or to any one person.
—
Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2025
Latinas of all backgrounds have endured being typecast as a slutty Maria or subservient Lupe.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
Moscow may brush off this latest setback, its rigidly subservient state media able to sustain any narrative the Kremlin chooses.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 2 June 2025
Women in the surrealist movement were often relegated to the role of the femme enfant – often young, beautiful women who were expected to be subservient to male artists.
—Mackenzie Farkus, Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subservient
Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2025
Latinas of all backgrounds have endured being typecast as a slutty Maria or subservient Lupe.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
Moscow may brush off this latest setback, its rigidly subservient state media able to sustain any narrative the Kremlin chooses.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 2 June 2025
Women in the surrealist movement were often relegated to the role of the femme enfant – often young, beautiful women who were expected to be subservient to male artists.
—Mackenzie Farkus, Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subservient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subservient
Adjective
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Russia Has Become the Junior Partner For Moscow, the pipeline cements its subordinate role in its partnership with China.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Her peer and subordinate evaluations were mixed.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Who those leaders are—their values, worldview, experiences and perspectives regarding people different from them—was treated as secondary or additive at best.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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India's secondary market looks overpriced as compared to other emerging markets.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The pawrent, who uses the social media tag @dollythesassysausage, shared the unconventional tactic of tying the lead of their sausage dog, Dolly, to their sibling's dog—an obedient cocker spaniel called Cooper.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
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The Golem was a powerful, obedient protector, performing tasks and defending the ghetto.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Enjoyed reading this article> Then check out my ChatGPT prompts to build passive income in 2025.—
Rachel Wells,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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After yet another passive period, researchers saw another boost which Henry VIII shortstopped.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subservient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subservient. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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