as in slavery
the state of being an enslaved person
the Fugitive Slave Act had the effect of returning enslaved people who had made it to freedom in the North to a brutal life of servitude in the South
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Recent Examples of servitude
Violence was the means by which slaveholders were able to get fellow human beings to submit to servitude, and Texans were willing to use it liberally.
—
David Wright Faladé, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025
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
Luckily, her daughters come back for her, and after a lifetime of servitude, Yolanda finally gets to fly—no metaphor this time.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 12 June 2025
There are no piano players, there is no music without the technicians who work in a quiet servitude of maintaining these instruments.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for servitude
David Wright Faladé, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025
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
Luckily, her daughters come back for her, and after a lifetime of servitude, Yolanda finally gets to fly—no metaphor this time.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 12 June 2025
There are no piano players, there is no music without the technicians who work in a quiet servitude of maintaining these instruments.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for servitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for servitude
slavery
Noun
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The word robot comes from the Czech word ‘robota’ which meant involuntary servitude, something very close to slavery, says Novakova.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Guests have included a slavery apologist, as well as a pastor who believes women should not have the right to vote.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Servitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/servitude. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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