I. ˈsər]vəl, ˈsə̄], ˈsəi], ]ˌvīl, ](ˌ)vil\ adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin servilis, from servus slave, servant + -ilis -ile — more at serve
1.
a. : of, relating to, or appropriate to slaves
the stigmata … of his servile antecedents — Oscar Handlin
b. : befitting a slave or servant : unsuitable for a free man
the machine increased the servitude of servile personalities — Lewis Mumford
c. : held in servitude : subject to a master or owner
manors … within which both independent farmers and servile tenants lived — R.B.Morris
d. : held by or relating to base services or a base as opposed to a free tenure of land under feudal law
2. Roman Catholicism : of, relating to, or constituting physical or manual as distinguished from mental labor
the first day shall be most solemn unto you, and holy: you shall do no servile work therein — Lev 23:7 (Douay Version)
3. : subject to despotic or tyrannical rule : politically oppressed or subjugated
doomed … to be destroyed or reduced to a servile station — Sir Winston Churchill
4.
a. : behaving like a slave : lacking spirit or independence : abject , submissive
the servile attitude which he always maintained towards authority in intellectual and religious matters — R.A.Hall b.1911
leaves a servile old man in the clutches of his daughter — Times Literary Supplement
too servile to the authority of older dictionaries — Louise Pound
b. : lacking moral worth or dignity : ignoble
servile fear
c. : controlled , subject , subordinate — used with to
5. : slavishly imitative of a model especially in literature or art : lacking independence or originality
could draw inspiration from the past without stooping to servile imitation — American Guide Series: New York
6. : of, relating to, or engaged in the work of a servant or menial
if it is used by a servile class it is avoided by the educated — A.N.Whitehead
7.
a. : of or relating to a derivational, inflectional, or relational element of speech : not belonging to the root
servile sounds or letters
s in English sits, man's, dogs is servile
b. : not itself sounded but serving to indicate a long preceding vowel
the e in stone is servile
c. : subject to assimilation
8. : constituting a means rather than an end : instrumental
in philosophy itself investigation and reasoning are only preparatory and servile parts, means to an end — George Santayana
Synonyms: see subservient
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a servile person
2. : a servile linguistic element or particle