enslave

verb

en·​slave in-ˈslāv 

en-

enslaved; enslaving; enslaves

transitive verb

: 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

It 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

This 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

enslavement

in-ˈslāv-mənt 

en-

noun

plural enslavements

… the continued enslavement of millions of human beings after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

—Juan Cole

sexual/economic enslavement

Examples of enslave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is also an emphasis on the stories of those who were enslaved on the property. — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 1 July 2026

By 1798, half of the 200 men building these landmarks were enslaved. — Melia Patria, ABC News, 4 July 2026

Trammell was enslaved in northern Virginia before gaining his freedom in the 1850s, according to Bunch. — Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Soon, Catholic missions and Spanish rancheros sprouted, first attracting local Native peoples and later, enslaving them. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for enslave

• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• forgave
• landgrave
• margrave
• shortwave
• aftershave
• architrave

Kids Definition

enslave

verb

en·​slave in-ˈslāv 

: to force into slavery

enslavement

-mənt 

noun

enslaver noun