Are the following terms synonymous: service, volunteerism, community service, service-learning? This article offers a survey of service-related terms and definitions by various groups. It also shows a connection between service (and/or service- learning) and citizenship. Finally, it notes how some public and private institutions (organizations) assist in promoting either service or service-learning in this country. The focus of this article will be to trace the idea of "service-learning," especially for the last twenty-five years. An equally important objective will be to show how academics and others in the United States have applied the term.