subserve
English
Etymology
From Latin subservire.
Verb
subserve (third-person singular simple present subserves, present participle subserving, simple past and past participle subserved)
- To serve to promote (an end); to be useful to.
- 1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard:
- ' […] Human laws we respect—ha, ha!—you and I, because they subserve our convenience, and just so long. When they tend to our destruction, 'tis, of course, another thing.'
- 1840, Abel Upshur, A Brief Enquiry into the Nature and Character of our Federal Government, Campbell, page 69:
- Their principles will cease to be dear to them, whenever they shall cease to subserve the purposes of good order.
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- To assist in carrying out.
- 1665, Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica:
- 'Tis a greater credit to know the ways of captivating Nature, and making her subserve our purposes, than to have learnt all the intrigues of policy.
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Related terms
- subservient
Anagrams
- subverse