bondage

noun bond·age \ ˈbän-dij \

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Examples: bondage in a Sentence

Definition of bondage

1 : the tenure or service of a villein, serf, or slave

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

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Examples of bondage in a Sentence

a population held in bondage
the Civil War ended over 200 years of bondage for black Africans in America

Recent Examples of bondage from the Web

But within a few years, the Griers would become early Underground Railroad conductors, joining with fellow pioneers and other allies to confront the growing tyranny of bondage and injustice.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The Unheralded Pioneers of 19th-Century America Were Free African-American Families," 19 June 2018
There is Harriett Tubman, who helped dozens of slaves escape bondage despite the risk of coming back into slaveholding territory time and time again.

— clint smith, The New Republic, "Wake Up, Mr. West!," 3 May 2018
No, it isn't measured in terms of bondage swings, or feet-over-head positions, or even screaming orgasms.

— koren zailckas, Glamour, "No, Husbands and Partners Are Not 'Entitled' to Sex. Ever.," 7 June 2018
His reprehensibly irresponsible comment summarily dismisses history (and reality) and the terrorism and the trauma that effectively kept thousands of blacks in social, psychological, physiological and even spiritual bondage.

— tiffany capers - contributing columnist, observer editorial board, charlotteobserver, "What Kanye and Pat McCrory got wrong about blacks | Charlotte Observer," 18 May 2018
Even though slavery was officially abolished in 1863, America continually tried to hold black Americans in bondage.

— solomon jones, Philly.com, "Not everyone in America is free this Fourth of July | Solomon Jones," 3 July 2018
This packed composition inspired by Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals (and shown here only in reproduction) includes numerous historical figures led by an avenging angel fighting against the anti-democratic forces of bondage.

— james panero, WSJ, "‘Charles White: A Retrospective’ Review: Shimmering Black History Brought to Life," 27 June 2018
Alyx continues to feel like apocalyptic bondage gear.

— noah johnson, GQ, "Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Alyx Plot the Future of Menswear," 27 June 2018
Black women in bondage and beyond found ways and made spaces to assert their wills, to attend to each other, to develop knowledge and skill.

— danielle jackson, Longreads, "A Frustrating Year of Reporting on Black Maternal Health," 14 June 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of bondage

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from bonde customary tenant, from Middle English

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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bondage Synonyms

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

BONDAGE Defined for English Language Learners

bondage

noun

Definition of bondage for English Language Learners

: the state of being a slave
: sexual activity that involves tying a person up for pleasure

BONDAGE Defined for Kids

bondage

noun bond·age \ ˈbän-dij \

Definition of bondage for Students

: the state of being a slave

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bondage

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BONDAGE Defined for English Language Learners

bondage

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