1
as in enslavement
the state of being an enslaved person
a child born into slavery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
endured the slavery of working in the coal mines every day of his adult life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slavery
Amid all the admiring, even nostalgic, books and films commemorating America’s revolutionary beginnings in the lead-up to our country’s 250th birthday, Ellis’ book examines the underside of that time, specifically the failure to end slavery, and the failure to avoid Indian removal.
—
The Know, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
In one case, church members helped a man escape slavery after he was captured by slave catchers.
—Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Copyright © 2026 by Daniel Rood Daniel Rood is an associate professor of history at the University of Georgia specializing in the history of Atlantic slavery.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
That was how so many of their forebears settled here, having survived slavery and Jim Crow, working land some of the families own to this day.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slavery
The Know, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
In one case, church members helped a man escape slavery after he was captured by slave catchers.
—Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Copyright © 2026 by Daniel Rood Daniel Rood is an associate professor of history at the University of Georgia specializing in the history of Atlantic slavery.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
That was how so many of their forebears settled here, having survived slavery and Jim Crow, working land some of the families own to this day.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slavery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slavery
Noun
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The Italian explorer's journey also set the stage for colonization and enslavement, and academics and activists in recent years have called for an end to honoring him, noting the brutal treatment of Indigenous people that followed his arrival on the continent.—
Dan Diamond,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
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The festival of Passover commemorates the freedom of the Jewish nation from enslavement in Ancient Egypt, some 3338 years ago, in 1313 BCE.—
Rabbi Moishe Kievman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Tuesday marks California's inaugural Farmworkers Day, which was formally approved last week to replace Cesar Chavez Day after serious allegations against the late labor leader came to light.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Two days later, labor leaders joined a handful of US lawmakers in a DC hotel ballroom to strategize how to fight back as AI threatens to displace workers and remake the global economy.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Ten Commandments are about God having taken the initiative to rescue the Hebrew people from forced servitude.—
James Coffin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
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Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a free Black man tricked into servitude for Steve McQueen's uneasy-to-watch yet essential pre-Civil War drama.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At a Tuesday afternoon news conference in Sacramento City Hall, the mother and daughter stood beside their attorney, immigration advocates and local lawmakers — many of whom were involved in a weeks-long effort to bring her home.—
Mathew Miranda
Updated March 31,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Of course, the usual efforts around going plastic-free and energy-efficient are in place.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Seders take participants through the wondrous liberation of our ancestors from Egyptian bondage, while sharing the relevance and beauty of the age-old festival in our modern lives.—
Rabbi Moishe Kievman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
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Months later, Gershon was hanging from the ceiling, dressed in bondage gear, reflecting upon her early acting goals to perform Chekhov, portray Medea and stun audiences into silence.—
Cat Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Back in 2023, food writer Tejal Rao called out how Noma’s trophy dishes like its fruit beetle were the result of hours-long unpaid drudgery.—
Shindy Chen
March 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
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These women, including Mary Ann M’Clintock, Amelia Bloomer, and Martha Coffin Wright, provided a respite from the drudgery of child rearing.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The exhibition will also examine orca behavior, including social structures and communication, as well as issues such as captivity and the status of various populations, museum officials said.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Robert Rubsam on a novel about women who trade one kind of captivity for another.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Though the system managed only a dim glow, Lorna was still grateful for the flick of a switch rather than the toil of refilling oil lamps and trimming candles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
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There has to be a chance that Jos Buttler’s toils in Sri Lanka and India represent his last ventures on the international stage, and therefore the end of an era.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slavery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slavery. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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