serve one's time

verb

To hold a professional, political, etc. position for a set period of time.

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Meanings

verbserve one's time (third-person singular simple present serves one's time, present participle serving one's time, simple past and past participle served one's time)

present singular third person serves one's time · participle present serving one's time · participle past served one's time · past served one's time

  1. To hold a professional, political, etc. position for a set period of time.
  2. alternativeAlternative form of serve time (“serve a jail sentence”).
Cite this entry
APA

serve one's time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/serve%20one's%20time

MLA

“serve one's time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/serve%20one's%20time. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “serve one's time,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/serve%20one's%20time.

Source: serve one's time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.