Dictionary

servitude en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsɜːvɪtʃuːd/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈsɝvɪtud/ (US)
• /ˈsərvəˌt(j)ud/ (US)
• /-tjuːd/ (UK)

Etymology

From Middle French servitude, from Latin servitūdō, from Latin servus (“slave”). Equivalent to serve + -itude.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The state of being a slave; slavery; being forced to work for others or do their bidding without one's consent or against one's will, either in perpetuity or for a period of time over which one has little or no control.
   • The Enlightment worldview, which considered the order of "Nature" as a basis and, at the same time, the subject of explorations of scientific natural sciences, has, at the same time, considered this order as a criterion of the artistically-aesthetic qualities of art. From an "ideological" point of view, it liberated art from its feudal religious and courtly servitude. 1986, Piotr Buczkowski, Andrzej Klawiter, editors, Theories of Ideology and Ideology of Theories, Rodopi, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 57:
   • In spite of the importance of this route it remained until a few years ago very insecure. Overhung almost its entire length by the inaccessible fastnesses of Lololand, the passing caravans dared journey only with convoy, and even then were frequently overwhelmed by raiders from the hills, who carried off both trader and goods into the mountains, the former to lifelong servitude. 1913, Elizabeth Kimball Kendall, A Wayfarer in China:
   • Balfour, who had sought refuge in Argentina, was extradited, and sentenced to a long term of penal servitude at Parkhurst Prison in the Isle of Wight. 1948 July and August, K. Westcott Jones, “The Isle of Wight Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 216:
2. (countable, uncountable) A qualified beneficial interest severed or fragmented from the ownership of an inferior property and attached to a superior property or to some person other than the owner; the most common form is an easement.
3. (countable, dated, uncountable) Service rendered in the army or navy.
4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Servants collectively.
5. (archaic, countable, uncountable) The act of serving (food or drink, etc.); service.
   • The usual routine of confections and pastry follows, after which a galore of fruits of all kinds, with a chassè of excellent Mocha, the immediate servitude of which, after good dining, is, I think, universally acknowledged to be a great exhiliration^([sic]). 1857, Journal of Australasia, volume 2, page 38:

Forms

Antonyms

autonomy · liberty · freedom · independence

Deriveds

servitudinal · ritual servitude · subservitude · semiservitude

Relateds

slavery · serf · servility · servant · serfdom

Synonyms

subjugation · bondage

Translations (59)

el δουλεία (the state of being a slave) · got 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌻𐌺𐌹𐌽𐌰𐍃𐍃𐌿𐍃 (the state of being a slave) · enm servitute (the state of being a slave) · hu szolgaság (the state of being a slave) · ru сервиту́т (qualified beneficial interest) · mi hāwinitanga (the state of being a slave) · la servitūdō (the state of being a slave) · fr servitude (the state of being a slave) · got 𐌸𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌳𐍅 gender unattested (the state of being a slave) · ru нево́ля (the state of being a slave) · ro servitudine (the state of being a slave) · bg сервитуд (qualified beneficial interest) · pl służebność (qualified beneficial interest) · fi servituutti (qualified beneficial interest) · de Dienstbarkeit (qualified beneficial interest) · ca servitud (the state of being a slave) · ro servitute (qualified beneficial interest) · ja 隷従 (the state of being a slave) · es servidumbre (the state of being a slave) · es servitud (disused) (the state of being a slave) · fi orjuus (the state of being a slave) · es servidumbre (qualified beneficial interest) · ga sclábhaíocht (the state of being a slave) · enm servage (the state of being a slave) · cmn 奴隸制度 /奴隶制度 (the state of being a slave) · hu szolgasors (the state of being a slave) · hu rabszolgasors (the state of being a slave) · hu leigázottság (the state of being a slave) · ga ansclábhaíocht (the state of being a slave) · ro servitute (the state of being a slave) · cmn 地役權 /地役权 (qualified beneficial interest) · gl servidume (the state of being a slave) · da trældom (the state of being a slave) · sv träldom (the state of being a slave) · de Knechtschaft (the state of being a slave) · pl niewola (the state of being a slave) · hu szolgalom (qualified beneficial interest) · gd òglachas (the state of being a slave) · it servitù (the state of being a slave) · bg робство (the state of being a slave) · sv servitut (qualified beneficial interest) · nl erfdienstbaarheid (qualified beneficial interest) · nl dienstbaarheid (the state of being a slave) · ru ра́бство (the state of being a slave) · fr servage (the state of being a slave) · txb mañiññe (the state of being a slave) · izh orjus (the state of being a slave) · mi ponongatanga (the state of being a slave) · ga meirse (the state of being a slave) · ga daoirse (the state of being a slave) · cmn 奴役 (the state of being a slave) · fi rasite (qualified beneficial interest) · hu rabszolgaság (the state of being a slave) · cs služebnost (qualified beneficial interest) · cs otroctví (the state of being a slave) · pt servidão (the state of being a slave) · pt servitude (the state of being a slave) · la servitūs (the state of being a slave) · fr servitude (qualified beneficial interest)