as in peonage
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Recent Examples of serfdom
That book, Caliban and the Witch, traces the emergence of witch hunts throughout medieval Western Europe amid the transition from serfdom to proto-capitalism.
—
Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024
Johnson envisioned a postwar order in which former slaves would transition into permanent serfdom, destined for labor but no independent economic life and no place in politics.
—David W. Blight, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020
As the Big Three continue to drive down the road to serfdom, car production will continue in the United States.
—The Editors, National Review, 18 Sep. 2023
Following Mexico's independence in 1821, a small landowning elite replaced the colonial rulers, and most of the farmers (except those who joined farming collectives) transitioned from slavery to serfdom.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for serfdom
Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024
Johnson envisioned a postwar order in which former slaves would transition into permanent serfdom, destined for labor but no independent economic life and no place in politics.
—David W. Blight, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020
As the Big Three continue to drive down the road to serfdom, car production will continue in the United States.
—The Editors, National Review, 18 Sep. 2023
Following Mexico's independence in 1821, a small landowning elite replaced the colonial rulers, and most of the farmers (except those who joined farming collectives) transitioned from slavery to serfdom.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for serfdom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serfdom
Noun
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Roughly 12% were of African descent — newly unshackled, technically free and already being legally recaptured under other names: peonage, vagrancy laws, convict leasing.—
Jack Hill,
Baltimore Sun,
17 May 2025
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Ryan Coogler didn’t want to hide anymore The film conveys two forms of peonage prominent in the 1930s South—labor arrangements not far removed from slavery.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Even after the ratification of the 13th Amendment, Black people were often forced into other forms of servitude and new types of enslavement.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
People.com,
18 June 2025
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There was, however, a fateful exception: slavery or involuntary servitude would remain permissible as punishment for crimes.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
30 June 2025
Noun
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In 2022, Musk was accused of corporate slavery, perpetuating work abuse and job burnout.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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While many narratives about Black Americans from this time period focus on southern sharecroppers and other cultural offshoots of slavery, The Gilded Age offers a peek inside another facet of Black life.—
Evan Nicole Brown,
Architectural Digest,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
No team in the NFL carries the yoke of a playoff-victory drought that long.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 July 2025
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Smart leaders have prepared their businesses to navigate the bumps and built strong teams with their hands on the yoke to successfully fly on.—
Ryan Kunkel,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Adding all this up, odds seemed good that my family lacked a connection to the horrors of human bondage.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
31 July 2025
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The end of bondage was ostensibly codified in the 13th Amendment ratified later that year.—
Timothy Welbeck,
The Conversation,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Serfdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serfdom. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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