1
as in enslavement
the state of being an enslaved person
a child born into slavery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
endured the slavery of working in the coal mines every day of his adult life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 slavery
By probing deeper into outer-borough New York and its agrarian history, White complicates our traditional understanding of slavery as rural and southern, showing how memories of that peculiar institution shape contemporary urban life as well.
—
Omari Weekes, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Early modern men of commerce rarely did this, but on São Tomé the Portuguese saw a new kind of potential in industrializing agriculture on the basis of racial slavery and conquered land.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
That was how so many of their forebears settled here, having survived slavery and Jim Crow, working land some of the families own to this day.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026
West recalls a conversation in which Aham, who is Black, tacitly implies that monogamy is a form of colonialism or even slavery—which prompts West to consider whether her resistance to polyamory is a result of her own white privilege.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slavery
Omari Weekes, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Early modern men of commerce rarely did this, but on São Tomé the Portuguese saw a new kind of potential in industrializing agriculture on the basis of racial slavery and conquered land.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
That was how so many of their forebears settled here, having survived slavery and Jim Crow, working land some of the families own to this day.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026
West recalls a conversation in which Aham, who is Black, tacitly implies that monogamy is a form of colonialism or even slavery—which prompts West to consider whether her resistance to polyamory is a result of her own white privilege.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slavery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slavery
Noun
-
The Italian explorer's journey also set the stage for colonization and enslavement, and academics and activists in recent years have called for an end to honoring him, noting the brutal treatment of Indigenous people that followed his arrival on the continent.—
Dan Diamond,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The festival of Passover commemorates the freedom of the Jewish nation from enslavement in Ancient Egypt, some 3338 years ago, in 1313 BCE.—
Rabbi Moishe Kievman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Barker recommends those who want to donate look up their local union district on the American Federation of Government Employees website, or give through their local labor council.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The airlines, which are the primary beneficiaries of the labor provided by TSA and air traffic controllers, should be the first ones at the table demanding this action.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Ten Commandments are about God having taken the initiative to rescue the Hebrew people from forced servitude.—
James Coffin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a free Black man tricked into servitude for Steve McQueen's uneasy-to-watch yet essential pre-Civil War drama.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The initiative reflects broader efforts by city authorities and technology companies to explore how AI can improve customer service, accessibility, and operational efficiency in transportation hubs.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The effort would assess state departments and gather feedback from public employees to identify inefficiencies and reduce unnecessary spending.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 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
Noun
-
Back in 2023, food writer Tejal Rao called out how Noma’s trophy dishes like its fruit beetle were the result of hours-long unpaid drudgery.—
Shindy Chen
March 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
-
These women, including Mary Ann M’Clintock, Amelia Bloomer, and Martha Coffin Wright, provided a respite from the drudgery of child rearing.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The exhibition will also examine orca behavior, including social structures and communication, as well as issues such as captivity and the status of various populations, museum officials said.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Robert Rubsam on a novel about women who trade one kind of captivity for another.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Though the system managed only a dim glow, Lorna was still grateful for the flick of a switch rather than the toil of refilling oil lamps and trimming candles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
-
There has to be a chance that Jos Buttler’s toils in Sri Lanka and India represent his last ventures on the international stage, and therefore the end of an era.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slavery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slavery. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
