menial
/ˈmiːni.əl/adjective, noun
menial is spelled M-E-N-I-A-L: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,320th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, menial means “Of or relating to work normally performed by a servant” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in menial?
| Letters | 6: M-E-N-I-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 35,320th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is menial?
Menial appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,320th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce menial?
- /ˈmiːni.əl/
Menial has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-menial.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of menial
- more menial comparative
- most menial superlative
- menials plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does menial mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to work normally performed by a servant.
- 2
Of or relating to unskilled work.
menial job
- 3
Servile; low; mean.
a menial wretch
noun
- 1
A servant, especially a domestic servant.
- 2
A person who has a subservient nature.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Menial in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | ancillaire , subalterne , domestique |
| German | untergeordnet , nieder, niedrig , Hausdiener, Domestik , unterwürfige Person |
| Portuguese | servil , humilde, subalterno, de baixa qualificação |
| Spanish | de baja categoría, de poca importancia , criado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does menial come from?
From Middle English meyneal, from Anglo-Norman mesnal, from maisnee (“household”), from Vulgar Latin *mānsiōnāta, from Latin mānsiō (“house”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).