servant
gb/sˈɚvənt/ us/sˈɚvənt/
A2
English
~ 2000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Person doing domestic work
A person who works in someone's home, doing jobs like cleaning or cooking.
Usage pattern:
[someone] works as a servant
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'servant' with 'server', which usually refers to someone serving food in a restaurant.
Synonyms
housekeeper (Often refers specifically to someone who cleans and manages a home, not all servant roles.)
|
attendant (More general; may serve in non-domestic contexts, like hotels or events.)
Antonyms
employer (The person who hires and directs a servant.)
|
master (Traditional term for the person served, especially historically.)
Collocations
domestic servant
|faithful servant
|house servant
|personal servant
Themes
daily life
|employment
|home
|daily_life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The wealthy family had several servants to help maintain their large estate.
- As a servant, she was responsible for preparing meals and cleaning the house.
- The servant opened the door and welcomed the guests inside.
- He worked as a servant in a country manor for most of his life.
Learner examples
- The servant cleans the rooms every day.
- Her family has one servant to help with cooking.
- The servant opened the window.
- He is a servant in that big house.
Noun
formal
B1
entity
2
Devoted worker for cause
A person who works hard for a group, country, or cause.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a servant of [organization/cause]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'public servant' means someone in domestic service; in fact, it refers to government employees.
Synonyms
employee (General term; lacks the connotation of dedication or service.)
|
official (Specifically refers to someone holding an office, often in government.)
Antonyms
opponent (Someone working against the cause or organization.)
Collocations
public servant
|civil servant
|servant of the people
Themes
employment
|politics
|work
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She has been a loyal public servant for over thirty years.
- The mayor described himself as a servant of the people.
- Civil servants are responsible for carrying out government policies.
Learner examples
- He is a public servant in the city office.
- She works as a civil servant.
- The president says he is a servant of the people.
Grammar
Dictionary form
servant
IPA
GB/sˈɚvənt/
US/sˈɚvənt/
Syllables & stress
ser - vant (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ser)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: servant
- Plural: servants
Word family
Forms
servants
noun
Related words
server
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
disservice
noun
Advanced or less common
Expressions
faithful servant
1/fˈeɪθfəl sˈɚvənt/
fixed phrase
Loyal long-term attendant
A person who works for someone for many years and is always loyal.
Examples
- He had been a faithful servant to the family for decades.
- The faithful servant followed his master everywhere.
public servant
1/pˈʌblɪk sˈɚvənt/
fixed phrase
Government employee serving public
A person who works for the government to help the public.
Examples
- The new law affects every public servant in the country.
- Public servants must act in the best interest of citizens.
servant of the people
1/sˈɚvənt əv ðə pˈipəl/
fixed phrase
formal
Person serving citizens/community
A person whose job is to help and work for all citizens.
Examples
- He promised to be a true servant of the people if elected.
- The governor saw herself as a servant of the people.