1
as in subordinate
very willing to obey someone else
She was an equal partner in the marriage and not a subservient wife.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subservient
Immigrants and citizens alike of all ages should be required to pass a constitutional literacy test to maintain a distinct American culture to which all alternatives should be subservient.
—
Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2025
The movement teaches that women should be subservient to their husbands and that followers should shun dancing, dating and much of pop culture, People magazine previously reported.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 14 Jan. 2025
But Optimus, who in the video seems more than happy to be at his mistress’s beck and call, appears less subservient in a series of pictures in which Kardashian, wearing spike heels and lingerie, poses beside him and a gold Tesla Cybercab.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
As an angry teenager who develops a passionate hatred for everything about her life, particularly her stooped, seemingly subservient mother, Inseon runs away to Seoul, falls through a snowbank into a pit, and nearly dies.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subservient
Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2025
The movement teaches that women should be subservient to their husbands and that followers should shun dancing, dating and much of pop culture, People magazine previously reported.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 14 Jan. 2025
But Optimus, who in the video seems more than happy to be at his mistress’s beck and call, appears less subservient in a series of pictures in which Kardashian, wearing spike heels and lingerie, poses beside him and a gold Tesla Cybercab.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
As an angry teenager who develops a passionate hatred for everything about her life, particularly her stooped, seemingly subservient mother, Inseon runs away to Seoul, falls through a snowbank into a pit, and nearly dies.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subservient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subservient
Adjective
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Trump's recent rhetoric and aggressive tariff policies have revived concerns that his administration sees Canada as a subordinate economic partner rather than a sovereign ally.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
10 Mar. 2025
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The president is required by Article II Section 3 to enforce orders of the Supreme Court or subordinate federal tribunals.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The couple specialize in jewels created by modern artists, which have been acquired from the secondary art market.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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The average initial-point-of-sale price for a ticket to the tour was $204, while the average price on the secondary market was $1,652 per ticket.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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His oxygen tank sat at his knees like an obedient mastiff.—
Brandon Taylor,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2025
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Anyone who meets the gentle, obedient boy would never call him that.—
Bebe Hodges,
USA TODAY,
15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The administration’s decision to focus exclusively on bitcoin for active accumulation, while relegating other digital assets to a passive stockpile, mitigates these concerns.—
Dave Birnbaum,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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The work of those academics, who have all had roles at Dimensional over the years, helped push the investment world away from traditional stock picking and toward passive, low-cost strategies.—
Bob Pisani,Jesse Pound,
CNBC,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subservient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subservient. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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