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
Similarly, Massachusetts lawmakers gave their approval for Maine to become its own state, a move that Congress formalized in 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise, which also admitted Illinois’ southwestern neighbor as a slave state.
—
Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
After Tennessee became a state in 1796, the country had eight slave states and eight free (or soon-to-be-free) states.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2025
In an effort to maintain the status-quo, members on both sides agreed to the Missouri Compromise: Maine would enter the Union as a free state, while Missouri would enter as a slave state.
— Made By History, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
In the United States, the unholy compromises with the Southern slave states in the antebellum era is a case in point.
—Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
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Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
After Tennessee became a state in 1796, the country had eight slave states and eight free (or soon-to-be-free) states.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2025
In an effort to maintain the status-quo, members on both sides agreed to the Missouri Compromise: Maine would enter the Union as a free state, while Missouri would enter as a slave state.
— Made By History, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
In the United States, the unholy compromises with the Southern slave states in the antebellum era is a case in point.
—Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slave state
Cite this Entry
“Slave state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slave%20state. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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