bondage

noun

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bond·age | \ ˈbän-dij

Definition of bondage

1 : the tenure or service of a villein, a serf, or an enslaved person

2 : a state of being bound usually by compulsion (as of law or mastery): such as

a : captivity, serfdom

b : servitude or subjugation to a controlling person or force young people in bondage to drugs

3 : sadomasochistic sexual practices involving the physical restraint of one partner

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About bondage

Examples of bondage in a Sentence

a population held in bondage

Recent Examples on the Web Rhind-Tutt will play Erasmus Wilde, the iron-handed master of Faith Plantation in Barbados, where Washington Black begins life in bondage before flying to freedom. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 17 May 2022 Lipa went for a full hottie aesthetic, wearing a black sheer Versace bondage dress with layered gold chokers to debut the hair makeover. — ELLE, 4 Apr. 2022 The legacy of the bondage dress continues, and Dua Lipa is the latest Fashion Girl™ to take up the strappy, belted crown. — Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 4 Apr. 2022 The night boasted a range of memorable looks, from a show-stopping vintage Versace bondage gown sported by Dua Lipa to a ruffled and whimsical Valentino mini dress worn by the artist knows as Japanese Breakfast, Michelle Zauner. — Cady Lang, Time, 4 Apr. 2022 Wearing vintage Versace from its famous 1992 bondage collection that hit the runway on Christy Turlington. — PEOPLE.com, 4 Apr. 2022 Dua Lipa arrived at the 2022 Grammys in Versace—an ode to Donatella Versace that consisted of a strappy, leather-and-lace partially sheer dress similar to Versace's iconic 90s-era bondage dress. — Glamour, 3 Apr. 2022 There was dancing, light bondage, a pole routine, a horn section that was probably not playing their horns, and Bad Bunny. — oregonlive, 7 Feb. 2022 Labor trafficking follows the same definition, except its purpose is subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. — Celina Tebor, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bondage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.