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 asa : captivity, serfdomb : 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
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In pre-colonial Philippines and Southeast Asia (and many other parts of the world), practices of enslavement revolved around debt bondage rather than chattel slavery.
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This February release cost $55 million and grossed $378 million worldwide despite widespread critical panning, demonstrating the public's enduring appetite for cheesy soft-corn bondage porn.
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Among those indicted were the people owed the bondage debts of the women brought from Bangkok.
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The stepmother offers bondage cunningly packaged as devotion.
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The wrapping reminded me of everything wonderful: corsets, ballerina pointe shoes, bondage style.
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That a mother and child, even in bondage, might enjoy a tasty dessert; that a father and daughter in the same historically cruel circumstances might experience happiness and pride—who will now dare depict such nuance?
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On the Underground Railroad, geography is plot: the South represents iniquity and bondage, the North enlightenment and freedom.
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Slave resistance blew up the big lie that slaves were happy in bondage.
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
First Known Use: 14th century
Other Government and Politics Terms
BONDAGE Defined for English Language Learners
bondage
playDefinition of bondage for English Language Learners
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: the state of being a slave
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: sexual activity that involves tying a person up for pleasure
BONDAGE Defined for Kids
bondage
playDefinition of bondage for Students
: the state of being a slave
Learn More about bondage
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bondage Spanish Central: Translation of bondage Nglish: Translation of bondage for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bondage for Arabic speakers
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