enslaved; enslaving; enslaves
: to force into or as if into slavery : subjugate
The building holds bronze statues of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, who were born, and enslaved, on Maryland's Eastern Shore.—
Evan Osnos
Evan OsnosIt has long been known that Nordic warriors established outposts more than a millennium ago on Poland's Baltic coast, enslaving indigenous Slavic peoples to supply a booming slave trade, as well trading in salt, amber and other commodities.—Andrew Higgins
Andrew HigginsThis oddly contradictory view of artificial intelligence is somehow a perfect symbol of AI's place in our imaginations at this moment in history—something that will eliminate countless jobs, a boost for creativity, an end to drudgery, or perhaps a monstrous force that will take over our planet and enslave humanity.—Minda Zetlin
Minda Zetlin
enslavement
in-ˈslāv-mənt 
noun
en-
plural enslavements
… the continued enslavement of millions of human beings after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
—Juan Cole
Juan Cole
sexual/economic enslavement
Examples of enslave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gullah Geechee people are descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved on the rice, indigo and cotton plantations on the Sea Islands of the lower Atlantic states, including part of north Florida.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
Apologize to descendants of the people her family had enslaved and sold.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Now a protector of animals and a champion of the downtrodden, Sonja runs afoul of the tyrant Draygan (Robert Sheehan) and ends up enslaved alongside other gladiators for sport, ultimately leading a revolt alongside her new compatriots.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Only a racist would dare to defend or dismiss slavery, which stripped Africans of human rights and enslaved them as chattel to pick cotton on Southern plantations.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
Apologize to descendants of the people her family had enslaved and sold.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Now a protector of animals and a champion of the downtrodden, Sonja runs afoul of the tyrant Draygan (Robert Sheehan) and ends up enslaved alongside other gladiators for sport, ultimately leading a revolt alongside her new compatriots.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Only a racist would dare to defend or dismiss slavery, which stripped Africans of human rights and enslaved them as chattel to pick cotton on Southern plantations.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Cite this Entry
“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enslave. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share