as in enslaved
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
She was placed as an indentured servant with the Toppan family of Lowell and took their surname, per the Lowell Historical Society and the West End Museum.
—
Christina Coulter, People.com, 16 Aug. 2025
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
But most indentured people really weren’t given a choice.
—Logan Jaffe, ProPublica, 19 June 2020
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
Christina Coulter, People.com, 16 Aug. 2025
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
But most indentured people really weren’t given a choice.
—Logan Jaffe, ProPublica, 19 June 2020
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indentured
Adjective
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In September, a photo showing an enslaved man's scarred back from whippings was removed from a national monument in Georgia.—
Aida Mogos,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
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The home was likely used as a safe house for enslaved people fleeing the South, and the passageway’s design reflects careful planning to keep that purpose hidden from anyone who might come looking.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Dodgers’ split-squad group that journeyed the 14 miles from Glendale (and ultimately lost to Texas, 7-6) was largely a skeleton crew of Triple-A bound prospects and wannabes.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
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The pro-bound Crimson Tide are fronted by QB Ty Simpson, who threw 28 touchdowns to five interceptions in his final collegiate season.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Foro Penal, which keeps tabs on imprisoned dissidents and regime opponents, estimates that nearly 400 detainees will not benefit, noting the law covers only a 13-year period of the 27 years of Chavismo.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
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Habeas petitions are, as a rule, the last option for an imprisoned person to void their convictions.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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That’s a monopoly extracting from a captive market.—
Josh Elliott,
Hartford Courant,
23 Feb. 2026
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Investigators allege that on the day Elliott was shot, Johnson held the woman captive in the apartment.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indentured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indentured. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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