SLAVERY Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

slavery

noun

ˈslā-v(ə-)rē

Definition of slavery

as in enslavement

the state of being an enslaved person a child born into slavery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Genetic analyses, such as those used in the new Jefferson study, can help restore connections that were lost because of slavery, Harney added. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 In New England, the first act was to steal our corn and acorns and beans in 1620 and to torch our villages with men, women, and children inside and to sell the survivors into slavery. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 It’s often said that the original sin of the United States was slavery. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Drake was a craftsman who was born into slavery in early-nineteenth-century Edgefield, South Carolina. — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slavery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slavery

Noun

How did the zombie go from being an emblem of enslavement and loss of autonomy in Haitian Vodou to the favorite flesh-eating grotesquerie of postapocalyptic tales?

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
With polished prose and impeccable research, historian Philbrick unravels the Golden State’s ties to profit, enslavement and white supremacy.

— Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of enslavement

Noun

Rising costs, shrinking market Rising costs and labor shortages have become major challenges for Japanese companies in the post-pandemic business environment, said Harumi Taguchi, principal economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
Throughout the world, rapidly aging countries have resorted to foreign labor to fill jobs left vacant by shrinking workforces and to care for surging elderly populations.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of labor

Noun

The discovery is a huge victory for conservation efforts across the Indian Ocean.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
In yet another battle between the states and social media platforms, Florida asked a state judge to order changes on Instagram and Facebook in an effort to protect young users.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of effort

Noun

Those being deported today weren’t captured and sold into bondage; many left home to escape civil war, gang violence or starvation.

— Karen Masterson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
The National Park Service is revising interpretations at its sites to offer an upbeat rendering of human bondage, if slavery is mentioned at all.

— Drew Gilpin Faust, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of bondage

Noun

Plastic, prefabrication and push-button convenience suggested that mass production could bring elegant, futuristic living — and freedom from drudgery — within reach of the masses.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Because amid the drudgery, Veach spent endless time one-on-one with Reid, including hours of watching video and learning the game through an entirely new lens.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of drudgery

Noun

Rescue tells the story of Roro, a Yemeni mother of young children fighting to reunite her family after a Mediterranean rescue operation left her separated from her husband and held in captivity in Libya.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
Even more surprisingly, the 24-year-old doe that lived in captivity in Kerr Wildlife Management Area actually birthed a fawn in her final year.

— Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of captivity

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slavers

slavery

slaves

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“Slavery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slavery. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of slavery

noun

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