subserve

English

Etymology

From Latin subservire.

Verb

subserve (third-person singular simple present subserves, present participle subserving, simple past and past participle subserved)

1. 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.

2. To assist in carrying out.
   • 1665, Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica: Or, Confest Ignorance, the Way to Science; […], London: […] E. C[otes] for Henry Eversden […], →OCLC:

     '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.

Related terms

• subservient

Anagrams

• subverse