serve out
Complete one's sentence
Serve out means to complete a required period of time, especially one involving obligation or confinement.
A politician serves out their term; a prisoner serves out their sentence.
The phrase emphasizes endurance through to the end rather than early departure: She decided to serve out her contract despite the difficult working conditions.
In British English, serve out also means to distribute food or portions to people: He served out the soup to everyone at the table.
- completeLacking nothing, fully done
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- prison sentenceMandated period of incarceration
- termFixed period or word
- full termEntire gestation period
accomplish · tenure · contract period · lame duck · fulfill · remainder · execute · tennis · final set · mete · prison · term of office · discharge · parole · obligation · ladle · volley · probation