as in interned
required by a contract to work for a certain period of time
immigrants who came to the U.S. as indentured servants 200 years ago
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Recent Examples of indentured
Under Trump, Congress has behaved like an indentured servant rather than an independent agent.
—
Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025
Among her ancestors: John Howland, who arrived as an indentured servant; Elizabeth Tilley, who was a passenger along with her parents and married Howland three years after arriving; and Richard Warren, who helped explore Cape Cod to find areas to settle.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
The young man probably arrived from England in the 1630s as a cabin boy or an indentured servant.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023
Both the levelers among the founders and their critics agreed on where the wealth necessary for the new nation would come from: the expropriation of Native Americans, as well as from slave and indentured labor.
—Danielle Allen, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2015
But most indentured people really weren’t given a choice.
—Logan Jaffe, ProPublica, 19 June 2020
Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025
Among her ancestors: John Howland, who arrived as an indentured servant; Elizabeth Tilley, who was a passenger along with her parents and married Howland three years after arriving; and Richard Warren, who helped explore Cape Cod to find areas to settle.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
The young man probably arrived from England in the 1630s as a cabin boy or an indentured servant.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023
Both the levelers among the founders and their critics agreed on where the wealth necessary for the new nation would come from: the expropriation of Native Americans, as well as from slave and indentured labor.
—Danielle Allen, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2015
But most indentured people really weren’t given a choice.
—Logan Jaffe, ProPublica, 19 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indentured
Adjective
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On a more somber note, some accounts suggest the presence of enslaved children in the building’s folklore, a haunting reminder of the region’s—and the home’s—complicated and painful past.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
29 July 2025
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By far, the deepest relationship of his life was with his wife, Mary, whose steely resolve helped bolster his commitment to freeing enslaved people.—
Christi Parsons,
Chicago Tribune,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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Her husband discovered her bound and dead with gunshot wounds, authorities reported.—
Cameron Macdonald,
Mercury News,
24 July 2025
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The protestors quickly form a tightly bound community, refusing to leave until the government enforces section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which required all federal spaces to become accessible.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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As a man reportedly held captive for 20 years recovers, legislators are seeking answers about the case and considering reforms to prevent similar cases in the future.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
24 July 2025
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Reports at the time indicated the girl was kidnapped while walking home from school and was soon after held captive in a remote location.—
Mark Gray,
People.com,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Indentured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indentured. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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