servitude
noun
-ˌtyüd \
Definition of servitude
1 : a condition in which one lacks liberty especially to determine one's course of action or way of life
2 : a right by which something (such as a piece of land) owned by one person is subject to a specified use or enjoyment by another
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Synonyms & Antonyms for servitude
Synonyms
bondage, enslavement, servility, slavery, thrall, thralldom (or thraldom), yoke
Antonyms
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Examples of servitude in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the most common mistakes made every year is exchanging free will for servitude to ADP. — Michael Beller, SI.com, "Tips to Help You Ace Any Fantasy Football Draft," 4 July 2018 Davidson police obtained additional warrants and Luong and Tsi were charged with human trafficking, involuntary servitude and conspiracy, officials said. — Lavendrick Smith, charlotteobserver, "Duo accused of human trafficking at NC salon stabbed woman with tools, warrants say," 29 June 2018 Much of The Handmaid’s Tale centers around how the United States became the extremist state of Gilead, a country enforcing hierarchal servitude in the wake of a fertility crisis. — Alexis Dent, Harper's BAZAAR, "We Are Gilead," 26 June 2018 Cheerleading embraces the athleticism and craft of the sport, becoming more stand-alone tumbling and gymnastics than a lesson in home-ec servitude and short skirts. — Washington Post, "The Redskins cheerleaders cheer on the home team and urge them to fight. Now they’ve got to fight for themselves.," 5 May 2018 The report also describes the challenges of domestic servitude in the households of diplomats based abroad, who have immunity. — Carol Morello, Washington Post, "State Department decries institutionalization of children," 28 June 2018 From poverty to servitude to mental asylums to finally a life of dusting the houses of upper class women who think having a celebrated murderess around spices up the tea time conversation, nothing about life has been fair to Grace. — Lincoln Michel, GQ, "Alias Grace Is the Perfect Netflix Show to Watch After The Handmaid's Tale," 30 June 2018 Black people had snapped their moorings to servitude and arrived at the advanced subjectivity lushly evinced by their art: their poems and paintings, their novels and spirituals. — Tobi Haslett, The New Yorker, "The Man Who Led the Harlem Renaissance—and His Hidden Hungers," 11 May 2018 Out of context, these are all traditionally seen as serviceable gestures that reminds many of the historical inequalities of labor that black women endured: slavery, indentured servitude, and so on. — Alisha Acquaye, Teen Vogue, "What Social Media Showed Me About Perceptions of Black Women in Beauty," 18 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'servitude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Trending: Servitude
Trending: Servitude
After a family in Britain was convicted of forcing ...
Dictionary Entries near servitude
Statistics for servitude
Last Updated
18 Aug 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for servitude
The first known use of servitude was in the 15th century
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More Definitions for servitude
servitude
noun
English Language Learners Definition of servitude
: the condition of being a slave or of having to obey another person
See the full definition for servitude in the English Language Learners Dictionary
servitude
noun
-ˌtyüd \
Kids Definition of servitude
: the condition of being a slave or of having to obey another
servitude
noun
\
Legal Definition of servitude
1 : a condition in which an individual lacks liberty especially to determine his or her course of action or way of life specifically : the state of being a slave involuntary servitude
2
: a right by which property owned by one person is subject to a specified use or enjoyment of another
—used chiefly in the civil law of Louisiana
— see also dominant estate and servient estate at estate sense 4 — compare easement
: a predial servitude whose existence is perceivable by exterior signs or works (as an aqueduct or road) on the property
: a predial servitude that is created by a limitation under the law on the use of the property
: a predial servitude that arises from the situation of the estates (as from one being situated downhill from another)
: a servitude that burdens property in favor of a specific named person — see also right of use, usufruct
: a servitude that burdens one item of immovable property (as a tract of land) in favor of another
Note:
A predial servitude is transferred along with the ownership of the dominant estate, and the servient estate is always taken subject to the servitude. A predial servitude cannot be transferred separately from the dominant estate.
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