as in slavery
the state of being an enslaved person
the Fugitive Slave Act had the effect of returning enslaved people who had made it to freedom in the North to a brutal life of servitude in the South
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Recent Examples of servitude
Like the Lenten journey, the onset of Passover commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian servitude, the onset of a 40-year march homeward to the land of promise.
—
Michael Pfleger,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a free Black man tricked into servitude for Steve McQueen's uneasy-to-watch yet essential pre-Civil War drama.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
The daughter of a gentleman and a maid, Sophie was orphaned at a young age and forced into servitude by her own father’s wife, the staggeringly bitter and petty Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung).
—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
26 Feb. 2026
On the one hand, Lady Penwood has tormented Sophie since her father’s death, denying her parentage, forcing her into servitude, and working her to the bone.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for servitude
Michael Pfleger,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a free Black man tricked into servitude for Steve McQueen's uneasy-to-watch yet essential pre-Civil War drama.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
The daughter of a gentleman and a maid, Sophie was orphaned at a young age and forced into servitude by her own father’s wife, the staggeringly bitter and petty Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung).
—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
26 Feb. 2026
On the one hand, Lady Penwood has tormented Sophie since her father’s death, denying her parentage, forcing her into servitude, and working her to the bone.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for servitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for servitude
slavery
Noun
-
The South cried hypocrisy on slavery, given that the seamen of Providence, Rhode Island, played a central role in the Atlantic slave trade.
-
Consider the removal of exhibit panels on slavery from Independence Hall itself, the very building where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Cite this Entry
“Servitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/servitude. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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