1
as in slave
a person who is considered the property of another person
an amendment to end the keeping of humans as chattel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in possession
chattels plural
transportable items that one owns
packed up all her chattels and moved to a new state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chattel
Patriarchal cultures reduce women to economic dependence, treating them as a form of chattel to be traded among families.
—
Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
There was no forgetting the notorious Confederate prison camps like Andersonville and Salisbury, the Confederate pogrom at Fort Pillow, and the fact that the South had seceded in the first place to perpetuate and expand an elite-serving economy based on human chattel.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Oct. 2025
Only a racist would dare to defend or dismiss slavery, which stripped Africans of human rights and enslaved them as chattel to pick cotton on Southern plantations.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
In many jurisdictions, the appeal of collecting is further enhanced through tax advantage, with sales exempt from capital gains thanks to wine’s classification as a wasting chattel.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for chattel
Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
There was no forgetting the notorious Confederate prison camps like Andersonville and Salisbury, the Confederate pogrom at Fort Pillow, and the fact that the South had seceded in the first place to perpetuate and expand an elite-serving economy based on human chattel.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Oct. 2025
Only a racist would dare to defend or dismiss slavery, which stripped Africans of human rights and enslaved them as chattel to pick cotton on Southern plantations.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
In many jurisdictions, the appeal of collecting is further enhanced through tax advantage, with sales exempt from capital gains thanks to wine’s classification as a wasting chattel.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for chattel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chattel
Noun
-
Let the skin of an American slave bind the charter of American Liberty!—
Regina E. Mason,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Launched in 2020 after the 400th anniversary of the first African slaves arriving in Jamestown, Virginia, the decade-long initiative encourages people of African descent to visit or repatriate and reconnect with their heritage and culture.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jalloh’s lengthy criminal history includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, assault, drug possession, property destruction, identity theft, trespassing, firing a weapon, grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
-
After two decades of grinding — and in possession of generational wealth — Blackburn attempted retirement.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And upstairs, rooftop bar High Praise keeps things fresh with rotating pop-ups throughout the year.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The little things added up Tuesday.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The grand opening Tuesday of the center on the library’s ground floor was a showcase of AI tools and demonstrations from San Jose State students, city departments and partners like LEGO Education, with fun stuff like robots on display.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This is once-in-a-lifetime stuff.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chattel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chattel. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
