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Since jugus means "yoke" in Latin, subjugate means literally "bring under the yoke". Farmers control oxen by means of a heavy wooden yoke over their shoulders. In ancient Rome, conquered soldiers, stripped of their uniforms, might actually be forced to pass under an ox yoke as a sign of submission to the Roman victors. Even without an actual yoke, what happens to a population that has come under the control of another can be every bit as humiliating. In dozens of countries throughout the world, ethnic minorities are denied basic rights and view themselves as subjugated by their country's government, army, and police.
Examples of subjugate in a Sentence
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Roberts performs as Yale philosophy Professor Alma, the self-righteousness that dazzles in her eyes subjugates Edebiri as Maggie, her self-effacing star pupil.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Charlie was a champion of the Judeo-Christian coalition to save Western civilization from the forces of barbarism and Islamism that seek to subjugate us all.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Russia’s war against Ukraine has much broader aims than subjugating an independent country.
—Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 10 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Subjugate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjugate. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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subjugate
verb
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