as in peonage
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
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
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
Russian officers still treated their peasant soldiers as little better than serfs (and serfdom would not be abolished in Russia for another 50 years).
—Antony Beevor, Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for serfdom
Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024
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
Russian officers still treated their peasant soldiers as little better than serfs (and serfdom would not be abolished in Russia for another 50 years).
—Antony Beevor, Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for serfdom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serfdom
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
The daughter of a gentleman and a maid, Sophie was orphaned at a young age and forced into servitude by her own father’s wife, the staggeringly bitter and petty Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung).—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
26 Feb. 2026
-
On the one hand, Lady Penwood has tormented Sophie since her father’s death, denying her parentage, forcing her into servitude, and working her to the bone.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Western civilization has created incredible innovation and achievements, while sadly slavery and colonialism will always be a part of history.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Then, drive 20 minutes down the road to the Cape Coast Castle Museum, which acknowledges the grim atrocities and consequences of slavery.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For Vásquez, the end of the Civil War marked a bright line between Rosario’s enslavement and freedom.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Black history in America is, of course, more than the story of enslavement and what was done to Black people on this continent across hundreds of years.—
Adam Harris,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Today is the beginning of their fifth year under the yoke of war.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
An abrasion-resistant Cordura overlay covers the shoulders, hood and upper sleeves for extra durability, and an extra layer of synthetic down in the yoke, upper sleeves, and draft flap improve heat retention.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Months later, Gershon was hanging from the ceiling, dressed in bondage gear, reflecting upon her early acting goals to perform Chekhov, portray Medea and stun audiences into silence.—
Cat Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Shibari is Japanese rope bondage.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serfdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serfdom. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
