noun
Meaning 1
The state of being subservient.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
subservience
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET: S AH0 B S ER1 V IY0 AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
abject or cringing submissiveness
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: obsequiousness, servility
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: submissiveness
Narrower terms: sycophancy
noun
Meaning 3
in a subservient state
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: subservientness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: subordinateness, subsidiarity
noun
Meaning 4
the condition of being something that is useful in reaching an end or carrying out a plan
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- all his actions were in subservience to the general plan
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: condition, status
History
Etymology
From subservi(ent) + -ence.
Across languages
Translations
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Chinese Mandarin: 从属 (cóngshǔ) — state of being subservient
- Danish: underdanighed — state of being subservient
- Danish: servilitet — state of being subservient
- Danish: ydmyghed — state of being subservient
- French: soumission — state of being subservient
- French: servilité — state of being subservient
- French: asservissement — state of being subservient
- German: Unterwürfigkeit — state of being subservient
- German: Untertänigkeit — state of being subservient
- German: Dienlichkeit — state of being subservient
- German: Servilität — state of being subservient
- Irish: spleáchas — state of being subservient
- Irish: spleá — state of being subservient
- Italian: servilismo — state of being subservient
- Japanese: 屈従 (kutsujuu) — state of being subservient
- Persian: ملازمت (molâzemat) — state of being subservient
- Romanian: servilism — state of being subservient
- Spanish: servilismo — state of being subservient
- Volapük: lusumät — state of being subservient
Real reading context