slave state

noun

1
: a state of the U.S. in which slavery was legal until the Civil War
2
: a nation subjected to totalitarian rule

Examples of slave state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Again, not something a moderate would do, especially in a state that wasn’t a slave state. Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026 The systematic process of forcing Indigenous peoples from their homes, spearheaded by the War Department’s troubled Office of Indian Affairs, was now in full swing, and Florida, with citizenry from the Deep South, was eager to join the Union as a slave state. Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026 One of the few good things that Jackson did as president was to reject and push back against the nullification efforts of the slave states. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Jan. 2026 Massachusetts has never been a slave state, becoming the first to abolish the practice in 1783 — six years before the 1789 ratification of the U.S. Constitution, according to the state’s official website. Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slave state

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of slave state was in 1809

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Cite this Entry

“Slave state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slave%20state. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.

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