What does "service" mean?
An act of being of assistance to someone.
Service
/ˈsɜː.vɪs/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of being of assistance to someone.
- Grammar: service is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: help, overhaul, a la carte, accommodating.
- Useful contrasts: antonym(s) of, damage, deny.
- Usage evidence: The bus service is not good between nine and ten.
How to use "service"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "service" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "service" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "service" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "service" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "service" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "help" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "service", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act of being of assistance to someone. countable, uncountable
"I say I did him a service by ending our relationship – now he can freely pursue his career."
- 2 Service tree.
- 3 the performance of duties by a waiter or servant wordnet
- 4 The state of being subordinate to or employed by an individual or group. countable, uncountable
"Lancelot was at the service of King Arthur."
- 5 The sorb; the fruit of this tree.
Show 28 more definitions
- 6 periodic maintenance on a car or machine wordnet
- 7 Work as a member of the military. uncountable
"Thank you for your service."
- 8 the act of delivering a writ or summons upon someone wordnet
- 9 The practice of providing assistance as economic activity. countable, uncountable
"Hair care is a service industry."
- 10 (sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play wordnet
- 11 Synonym of utility (“commodity provided on a continuous basis by a physical infrastructure network, such as electricity, water supply or sewerage”). countable, uncountable
- 12 work done by one person or group that benefits another wordnet
- 13 A department in a company, organization, or institution. countable, uncountable
- 14 (law) the acts performed by an English feudal tenant for the benefit of their lord which formed the consideration for the property granted to them wordnet
- 15 A function that is provided by one program or machine for another. countable, uncountable
"This machine provides the name service for the LAN."
- 16 employment in or work for another wordnet
- 17 The military. countable, uncountable
"the service"
- 18 the act of mating by male animals wordnet
- 19 A set of dishes or utensils. countable, uncountable
"She brought out the silver tea service."
- 20 the act of public worship following prescribed rules wordnet
- 21 The act of initially starting, or serving, the ball in play in tennis, volleyball, and other games. countable, uncountable
"The player had four service faults in the set."
- 22 an act of help or assistance; something (such as a tool, software or system) used to render said help or assistance wordnet
- 23 A religious rite or ritual. countable, uncountable
"Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands."
- 24 tableware consisting of a complete set of articles (silver or dishware) for use at table wordnet
- 25 The serving, or delivery, of a summons or writ. countable, uncountable
"He Suſpends on theſe Reaſons, that Thomas Rue had granted a general Diſcharge to Adam Muſhet, who was his Conjunct, and correus debendi, after the alleadged Service, which Diſcharged Muſhet, and conſequently Houstoun his Partner."
- 26 a means of serving wordnet
- 27 A taxi shared among unrelated passengers, each of whom pays part of the fare; often, it has a fixed route between cities. Israel, also, countable, uncountable
- 28 a company or agency that performs a public service; subject to government regulation wordnet
- 29 A musical composition for use in churches. countable, uncountable
- 30 a force that is a branch of the armed forces wordnet
- 31 Profession of respect; acknowledgment of duty owed. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Pray, do my service to his majesty."
- 32 The materials used for serving a rope, etc., such as spun yarn and small lines. countable, uncountable
- 33 Access to resources such as hotel rooms and Web-based videos without transfer of the resources' ownership. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To serve. transitive
"They service the customer base."
- 2 make fit for use wordnet
- 3 To serve.; To perform maintenance. transitive
"He is going to service the car."
- 4 mate with wordnet
- 5 To serve.; To supply (media outlets) with press releases etc. transitive
"One obvious way is press releases, which should be sent to your region's reporters, editors and columnists, the wire services, professional publications. […] Servicing the media should be an everyday thing."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 be used by; as of a utility wordnet
- 7 To make a repayment or pay interest (on a debt). transitive
"It continues to be laden with intense debt servicing costs."
- 8 To inseminate through sexual intercourse. euphemistic, transitive
- 9 To perform a sexual act upon. transitive, vulgar
"He serviced her several times a week."
- 10 To attack. euphemistic, transitive
"to service a target"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 An unincorporated community in Crawford County, Missouri, United States.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The bus service is not good between nine and ten."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "service"?
Common synonyms include: help, overhaul, a la carte, accommodating, accommodation, account.
How do you use "service" in a sentence?
The bus service is not good between nine and ten.
How do you pronounce "service"?
Pronounced /ˈsɜː.vɪs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English servise, from Old English serfis, from Old French servise (French service), from the verb servir, from Latin servitium (compare Portuguese serviço, Italian servizio, Norman sèrvice, Spanish servicio), from servus (“servant; serf; slave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ser-wo-s (“guardian”), possibly from *ser- (“watch over, protect”). Displaced native Old English þeġnung.
Etymology 2
Properly, the tree that bears sorb fruit, from Middle English serves, plural of serve (“sorb apple, serviceberry”), from Old English syrfe, from Vulgar Latin *sorbea, from Latin sorbus (“service tree”). See sorb.