Definition of chattel
1
: an item of tangible movable or immovable property except real estate and things (such as buildings) connected with real property
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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 of chattel from the Web
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On the question of chattel slavery, evangelicals do not just appear as the abolitionists Gerson cites approvingly.
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Well, so too might those women who were forced against their will to function as breeding chattel.
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It was deployed to help justify colonial rule in Africa and chattel slavery in America.
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When the story begins, Poornima’s mother has just died and her father, who treats her as chattel, is desperate to marry the 16-year-old off.
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The book offers a cynical and disturbing look at Sweden's immigration history, where refuges were treated like chattel and children were taken away from their parents.
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Interest rates on financing for the homes, known as chattel loans, are sometimes up to 5 percentage points higher than comparable mortgages, according to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report.
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In these experiments on human chattel, Sims developed a technique to repair fistula, the first of its kind.
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The abuse and terror of Miller’s story mirrored the horrors of chattel slavery, supposedly outlawed some 100 years before.
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.
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.”
Origin and Etymology of chattel
Middle English chatel property, from Anglo-French — more at cattle
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 14th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearchattel Synonyms
Antonyms
Near Antonyms
Related Words
attendant, domestic, drudge, handmaiden (also handmaid), lackey, menial, servant, slavey;
Other Legal Terms
CHATTEL Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of chattel for English Language Learners
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: something (such as a slave, piece of furniture, tool, etc.) that a person owns other than land or buildings
Law Dictionary
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.
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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
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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.
Origin and Etymology of chattel
Old French chatel goods, property, from Medieval Latin capitale, from neuter of capitalis chief, principal — see capital
Learn More about chattel
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See words that rhyme with chattel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for chattel Spanish Central: Translation of chattel Nglish: Translation of chattel for Spanish speakers
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