serf

as in slave
a person in the past who belonged to a low social class and who lived and worked on land owned by another person Medieval serfs who tended land owned by a lord.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for serf
Noun
  • The practice goes back to soon after the Civil War, when Congress ratified the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, in part to ensure that Black people, including former slaves, had citizenship.
    Tim Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
  • The other was used by people descended from slaves brought from Southeast Asia to work for the Afrikaner farmers.
    Carey Baraka, The Dial, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • Advertisement What Fellowes can’t countenance are privileged people who lack the magnanimity befitting their rank and, most of all, servants who are insufficiently grateful to their benevolent employers.
    Judy Berman, Time, 20 June 2025
  • Simone’s job is to make life hell for the family’s other servants, including property manager Jose (Felix Solis), head chef Patrice (Lauren Weedman), and Missy (Britne Oldford), who doesn’t appear to have a specific job.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Serf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serf. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on serf

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!