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

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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 Massachusetts was the first state to abolish slavery, and since the 1800s, Martha’s Vineyard and Inkwell Beach have been a renowned getaway for Black families, for Black freedom and Black expression. — Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 But many said that more reflective representation matters given the nation’s history, from slavery to Jim Crow and the lingering effects. — Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 Candidates often downplay race, but their campaigns unfold amid battles over voting rights, redistricting and how states teach slavery and segregation, raising stakes for Black representation. — Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 An exhibit at the park 100 miles from Charlotte explains events that led up to the birth of our nation, including policy debates, slavery, women and conflict with the Cherokee Indians. — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slavery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slavery

Noun

Some were written by people who experienced enslavement, others were dictated, and some were preserved through oral traditions.

— Reginald David, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026
While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of enslavement

Noun

Assertive Mars clashes with your ruler Saturn, highlighting tension around your home, family, or the amount of emotional labor each person carries.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
Shipbuilding used to mean months of labor, custom wooden frames, and massive upfront tooling costs.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of labor

Noun

Countless stories of Zeke’s kindness, bravery and commitment to a life of servitude took up the nearly eight-hour hearing.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
On the other hand, the court dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims that withholding privileges or credits constituted involuntary servitude.

— Julia Bowling, The Conversation, 29 May 2026

Definition of servitude

Noun

Its architecture could contribute to future efforts involving inexpensive rockets produced in much larger quantities.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Poor Anton has been left out of the drama all day, an effort by Billie and Samir to prevent an already bad futzing from escalating to something severe, and that’s never where Anton likes to be.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of effort

Noun

This display of light bondage proved merely an amuse-bouche to the erotic banquet that Fennell had prepared.

— Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
According to court records, Conahan, an unemployed nurse, lured Montgomery into the woods in northern Charlotte County to take nude bondage photos.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of bondage

Noun

Fuller’s ideas are hard to summarize, but always seem to reach toward a utopian vision of escaping the drudgery of everyday life.

— Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
Aesthetic experiences were here not reserved for museums or the elite, but folded in along with daily drudgeries.

— Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of drudgery

Noun

During his captivity, his siblings organized weekly jam sessions in his honor at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square.

— Bianna Golodryga, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Rachel and her husband Jon worked tirelessly to bring Hersh and the other hostages home, but on the 328th day of his captivity, Hersh was executed in a tunnel in Gaza.

— Will Croxton, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of captivity

Noun

The poem is about how our most worthwhile pursuits—things like art, love, and beauty—often seem to demand a measure of toil.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
With debts racking up, Ina loses the family’s bus company, forcing her to shift between jobs, from construction to becoming a bar entertainer, therefore forging an identity through toil.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of toil

Browse Nearby Words

slavers

slavery

slaves

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“Slavery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slavery. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of slavery

noun

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