serfs

noun

plural of serf
as in slaves
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.

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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 serfs Nowadays there is less merriment, sunk as Moscow is in a combination of Putin stagnation, the Ukraine war, and the techno-feudalism that is making serfs of all of us in a world owned by billionaires pumping propaganda through the black boxes in the palm of our hands. — Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serfs
  1. slaves
  2. servants
Noun
  • However, the words of our Founding Fathers did start the conversation to release slaves.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026
  • After all, the eloquent document’s principal author, Thomas Jefferson, owned 600 slaves.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of slaves
Noun
  • But their patience dwindles, her son Telemachus (Tom Holland, his eternal boyishness put to great use) is getting easier to goad into a fight, and the blind swineherd Eumaeus (John Leguizamo) is all that’s left of the king’s loyal servants.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
  • Yet his truest education came from the palace sweepers—the humble monk-servants who raised him.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026
Definition of servants

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serfdoms
serfs
sergeant
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Cite this Entry

“Serfs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serfs. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on serfs

Nglish: Translation of serfs for Spanish Speakers

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