chattel

chat·tel | \ ˈcha-tᵊl

Definition of chattel

1 : an item of tangible movable or immovable property except real estate and things (such as buildings) connected with real property

2 : slave, bondman slaveholders who were determined to hold on to their human chattel

Synonyms & Antonyms What is the Difference Between chattel and slave? More Example Sentences Learn More about chattel

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What is the Difference Between chattel and slave?

The word chattel is encountered in two main senses. The earlier of the two is primarily technical and refers to property, specifically property that is distinct from real estate holdings. The second meaning of chattel can excite considerable emotion, as it refers to humans as property, i.e., slaves. Chattel, slave and the less common bondman and thrall are all synonyms for a person held in servitude by another. Chattel and cattle both come to English from the same source: each is descended from the Medieval Latin word capitale, which itself traces to the Latin caput meaning “head.”

Examples of chattel in a Sentence

at one time, the children of black slaves were also considered chattel packed up all her chattels and moved to a new state

Recent Examples on the Web The insidiousness of chattel slavery, though, was still part of his life. — NBC News, "Meet James and Peter Hemings, America's first black celebrity chefs," 13 Feb. 2020 To qualify, farmers must show at least a 30% loss in crop production or a physical loss to livestock, livestock products, real estate or chattel property. — Andrew Clark, Indianapolis Star, "Indiana farmers eligible for federal assistance after 'unprecedented' year of losses," 10 June 2019 These circumlocutions are meant to emphasize the fact that Africans traded like chattel were not, in their essence, slaves but human beings. — Lionel Shriver, Harper's magazine, "Lefty Lingo," 25 Nov. 2019 Solomon, heartfully portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, becomes witness for the audience to see first-hand the horrors of chattel slavery. — Jason Herbert, Smithsonian Magazine, "What Were the Best History Movies of the Decade?," 31 Dec. 2019 But like millions of black people whose ancestors were taken from Africa, chattel slavery left her with a history that can never fully be known. — Cara Kelly, USA TODAY, "The best long reads from 2019," 23 Dec. 2019 Stewart captured Somerset and planned to sell him and ship him to Jamaica, only for the chief justice, Lord Mansfield, to declare this unlawful, because chattel slavery was not supported by English common law. — New York Times, "Letter to the Editor: Historians Critique The 1619 Project, and We Respond," 21 Dec. 2019 The beginning of chattel slavery in North America birthed something else: Rebellion. — Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "How two centuries of slave revolts shaped American history," 8 Nov. 2019 The militants destroyed villages, and religious sites, lined men up and shot them before kidnapping thousands of women and children and trading them in modern day chattel slavery. — Washington Post, "5 years on, Yazidis still live with IS massacre, enslavement," 1 Aug. 2019

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

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Last Updated

18 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Chattel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chattel. Accessed 29 Mar. 2020.

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More Definitions for chattel

chattel

noun

English Language Learners Definition of chattel

old-fashioned : something (such as a slave, piece of furniture, tool, etc.) that a person owns other than land or buildings

See the full definition for chattel in the English Language Learners Dictionary

chattel

noun

chat·tel | \ ˈchat-ᵊl

Legal Definition of chattel

: an item of tangible or intangible personal property especially : chattel personal in this entry

Note: In some jurisdictions the term chattel is restricted to items of tangible and movable personal property. Other jurisdictions also classify intangible assets and property items as chattels.

— chattel personal plural chattels personal

: an item of tangible movable personal property (as livestock or an automobile) that is not permanently connected with real estate

— chattel real plural chattels real

: an interest (as a leasehold or profit a prendre) in an item of immovable property (as land or a building) that is less than a freehold estate — compare fixture

Note: Interests that are considered chattels real have been treated by the common law as personal property despite being interests in real property.

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