What does "subserve" mean?
Subserve: To serve in subordination or instrumentally; to be subservient to; to help forward; to promote. It is a great credit to know the ways of captivating Nature, and making her subserve our purposes, than to have learned all the intrigues of policy. Glanvill.
Additional senses
- 2.To be subservient or subordinate; to serve in an inferior capacity. Not made to rule, But to subserve where wisdom bears command. Milton.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-subserve-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00