servant

noun

ser·​vant ˈsər-vənt How to pronounce servant (audio)
: one that serves others
a public servant
especially : one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer
servanthood noun
servantless adjective

Examples of servant in a Sentence

the wealthy family had servants to clean and cook for them
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Farrell plays John, the ambitious and chatty servant who is seduced by the mistress of the house (Jessica Chastain), as a nervous bundle of energy who becomes more agonized and frantic over the course of the film. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025 Revenues for the third film managed to improve upon the prior entry in the series about the grand houses and the servants and elite who populate them. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025 The book is a product of an era when attributing credit to servants of any kind would not have been expected, but times have changed. Adrian Miller, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025 Nonetheless, the two become close, to the degree that they are compared to Don Quixote and his faithful servant Sancho Panza. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for servant

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of servant was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Servant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/servant. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

servant

noun
ser·​vant ˈsər-vənt How to pronounce servant (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on servant

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