enslaved; enslaving; enslaves
: 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
Evan OsnosIt 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
Andrew HigginsThis 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
Minda Zetlin
enslavement
in-ˈslāv-mənt 
noun
en-
plural enslavements
… the continued enslavement of millions of human beings after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
—Juan Cole
Juan Cole
sexual/economic enslavement
Examples of enslave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If Sarah had been enslaved, there would be no documents to give me even this brumous view into her and her daughter’s existences.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
In 1741, his forces overran Tabarka, enslaving many residents and sending shockwaves throughout the western Mediterranean.
—Miquel Ros, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, Coard and a group of activists formed the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), lobbying the city and the National Park Service for a memorial to the people who were enslaved there — one that finally became reality in 2010.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
After all, one thing workingmen, women, and almost all of the enslaved had in common, on the commons, was the fact that none of them could vote.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enslave
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Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
In 1741, his forces overran Tabarka, enslaving many residents and sending shockwaves throughout the western Mediterranean.
—Miquel Ros, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, Coard and a group of activists formed the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), lobbying the city and the National Park Service for a memorial to the people who were enslaved there — one that finally became reality in 2010.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
After all, one thing workingmen, women, and almost all of the enslaved had in common, on the commons, was the fact that none of them could vote.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Cite this Entry
“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enslave. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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