as in slavery
the state of being an enslaved person
having known the misery of enslavement first hand, Frederick Douglass went on devote his life to the cause of making others free
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Recent Examples of enslavement
One character, a troubled traveling man named Herald Loomis (Joshua Boone), bears the scars of post-slavery enslavement after being abducted into seven years of hard labor under Joe Turner.
—
Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 6 May 2026
Their joyous innocence depicts the newest generation of Black Americans who won’t contend with enslavement but will be forced to confront the terrors of Jim Crow.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
Every play in the Century Cycle has its roots in the cataclysm of enslavement, but Joe Turner takes place with Reconstruction still close in the rearview.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Moreover, nowhere in the introductory text or contemporary works in the exhibition is there an acknowledgment of California’s history of Indigenous enslavement, of haciendas and missions serving as work camps from the beginning of the Spanish colonial period well into the nineteenth century.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
In 1530 the Spanish bishop Bartolome de las Casas urged the Spanish Cortes to ban the enslavement of Indigenous persons.
—Bishop Peter A. Rosazza, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
If its objects are Hebrew enslavement and escape, its subject is hope.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Luxury yachters, kayakers, and recreational fishermen routinely navigate these waterways without knowing their connection to enslavement.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Also on view are photos by Adrian Burrell, a third-generation resident of Oakland, California, whose photos are inspired by a family history of enslavement that threads from Senegal to Louisiana.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 6 May 2026
Their joyous innocence depicts the newest generation of Black Americans who won’t contend with enslavement but will be forced to confront the terrors of Jim Crow.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
Every play in the Century Cycle has its roots in the cataclysm of enslavement, but Joe Turner takes place with Reconstruction still close in the rearview.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Moreover, nowhere in the introductory text or contemporary works in the exhibition is there an acknowledgment of California’s history of Indigenous enslavement, of haciendas and missions serving as work camps from the beginning of the Spanish colonial period well into the nineteenth century.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
In 1530 the Spanish bishop Bartolome de las Casas urged the Spanish Cortes to ban the enslavement of Indigenous persons.
—Bishop Peter A. Rosazza, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
If its objects are Hebrew enslavement and escape, its subject is hope.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Luxury yachters, kayakers, and recreational fishermen routinely navigate these waterways without knowing their connection to enslavement.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Also on view are photos by Adrian Burrell, a third-generation resident of Oakland, California, whose photos are inspired by a family history of enslavement that threads from Senegal to Louisiana.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enslavement
slavery
Noun
-
The French National Convention accepted this and abolished slavery throughout the empire.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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In addition to the historic house and visitor center, the cottage hosts Students Opposing Slavery, a youth education program for students ages 14 to 24 that teaches both Lincoln’s legacy and contemporary issues of slavery.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enslavement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enslavement. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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