enslave

verb

en·​slave in-ˈslāv 

en-

enslaved; enslaving; enslaves

transitive verb

: to force into or as if into slavery : subjugate

The building holds bronze statues of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, who were born, and enslaved, on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

—Evan Osnos

It has long been known that Nordic warriors established outposts more than a millennium ago on Poland's Baltic coast, enslaving indigenous Slavic peoples to supply a booming slave trade, as well trading in salt, amber and other commodities.

—Andrew Higgins

This oddly contradictory view of artificial intelligence is somehow a perfect symbol of AI's place in our imaginations at this moment in history—something that will eliminate countless jobs, a boost for creativity, an end to drudgery, or perhaps a monstrous force that will take over our planet and enslave humanity.

—Minda Zetlin

enslavement

in-ˈslāv-mənt 

en-

noun

plural enslavements

… the continued enslavement of millions of human beings after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

—Juan Cole

sexual/economic enslavement

Examples of enslave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Black people who were enslaved were undoubtedly domiciled here, but the same is not true of temporary visitors. — Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

In Philadelphia, Independence National Historical Park is the subject of a lawsuit over George Washington’s 18th-century home, which included an exhibit featuring the names of nine people who were enslaved by Washington. — Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2026

The result was predictable, and they were found washed up on another remote island and, effectively, enslaved. — Terry W. Hartle, Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 2026

On March 31, 1817, New York lawmakers passed legislation declaring that every person still legally enslaved in the state would become free on July 4, 1827. — Tunisia Morrison, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for enslave

• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• forgave
• landgrave
• margrave
• shortwave
• aftershave
• architrave

Kids Definition

enslave

verb

en·​slave in-ˈslāv 

: to force into slavery

enslavement

-mənt 

noun

enslaver noun