bondage

noun

bond·​age ˈbän-dij 

plural bondages

1

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

a

: slavery, serfdom

Historically, the two most prevalent types of legal bondage were serfdom and chattel slavery.

—Michael Bush

More than 150 years after enslaved Africans and their descendants were released from bondage through ratification of the 13th Amendment, the slavery exception continues to permit the exploitation of labor by incarcerated individuals.

—Aaron Morrison

see also debt bondage

b

: servitude or subjugation to a controlling person or force

When one gigantic corporate entity is allowed to block farmers from planting a seed without compensating that monopoly, the farmers are held in bondage to uncontrolled price increases.

—John Boyd

Do you have the freedom of self-control or are you in bondage to your desires?

—David Brooks

2

: sadomasochistic sexual practices involving the physical restraint of one partner

Synonyms of bondage

• slavery

Examples of bondage in a Sentence

a population held in bondage

Recent Examples on the Web

The 14th Amendment, granting citizenship to those who were held in bondage, was ratified in December 1868 and the 15th Amendment, extending voting rights to Black men was ratified in February 1870. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026

Shibari, or Japanese rope bondage, is a beautiful art form, blending technique and creativity, where knots are carefully designed, and the bounded body is the canvas. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026

As Bluett documents, even in bondage, Diallo continued to carry out the five daily prayers. — Leila Tarakji, The Conversation, 17 June 2026

The two had met in March through a website used for escort and stripping services, according to a court affidavit, and investigators alleged Dale paid Rylaarsdam more than $11,000 during the course of several weeks to talk to him and perform acts of bondage at his home. — Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bondage

• debt bondage

Kids Definition

bondage

noun

bond·​age ˈbän-dij 

: the state of being an enslaved person or serf