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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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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Recent Examples of subservient
These include the notion that women are responsible when the victim of a rape attack; that men are the protectors of women, who should be subservient; and that men are frequently victims of false rape claims, among other fringe beliefs he’s publicly espoused.
—
Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025
Worse, their stories are generally subservient and intermittent.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for subservient
Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025
Worse, their stories are generally subservient and intermittent.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for subservient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subservient
Adjective
-
In China, for example, the constitution states that everything in the governmental system, including the courts, is subordinate to the leadership of the Communist Party.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
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The email was addressed to all subordinate commanders, and the subject line read in all capital letters: URGENT SAFETY OF FLIGHT ISSUE.—
Greg Wehner,
Fox News,
15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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While McTavish was the hero in the bonus session, Carlsson factored into every single goal in regulation, with a goal, two primary assists and a secondary one.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2025
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Here’s how: Social Graph Mapping: By analyzing who officials are connected to, adversaries can identify secondary targets who may have weaker defenses but high-value access — staffers, family members, assistants.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In this framing, children are not autonomous individuals worthy of respect, but future standard-bearers of their parents’ values—which means that the greatest sign of a mother’s success is producing obedient children.—
Hannah Giorgis,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2025
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His oxygen tank sat at his knees like an obedient mastiff.—
Brandon Taylor,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Things like passive solar (using our southern exposure windows and glass doors for heat gain in the winter), and having overhangs on the southern, east and west elevations that shade the heat gain in the summer.—
Rob Lewallen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Apr. 2025
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One of the potential innovations would be the installation of passive Z-gates.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subservient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subservient. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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