1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To complete a fixed period of time, such as a prison sentence, term of office, or contract.
"He was determined to serve out his full term as president despite calls for his resignation."
separable
serve out
B2 neutral separable transitive
To complete a fixed period of time, such as a prison sentence or term of office, or to distribute food to people.
In plain English
To finish a set period of time you have to do, or to dish out food to people.
What does "serve out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To distribute or portion out food or drink to a group of people.
"She served out the stew to each of the children before taking any herself."
separable
Usage tip
The 'complete a term' sense is common in journalism and formal contexts. The food sense is informal and everyday.
Words that pair with "serve out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
sentence term contract notice food rations
How to conjugate "serve out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
serve out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
serves out
he/she/it
Past simple
served out
yesterday
Past participle
served out
have + pp
-ing form
serving out
continuous
Hear "serve out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "serve out"
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Keep exploring
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