enslave

verb

en·​slave in-ˈslāv How to pronounce enslave (audio)
en-
enslaved; enslaving; enslaves

transitive verb

: to force into or as if into slavery : subjugate
The building holds bronze statues of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, who were born, and enslaved, on Maryland's Eastern Shore.Evan Osnos
It has long been known that Nordic warriors established outposts more than a millennium ago on Poland's Baltic coast, enslaving indigenous Slavic peoples to supply a booming slave trade, as well trading in salt, amber and other commodities.Andrew Higgins
This oddly contradictory view of artificial intelligence is somehow a perfect symbol of AI's place in our imaginations at this moment in history—something that will eliminate countless jobs, a boost for creativity, an end to drudgery, or perhaps a monstrous force that will take over our planet and enslave humanity.Minda Zetlin
enslavement noun
plural enslavements
… the continued enslavement of millions of human beings after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Juan Cole
sexual/economic enslavement

Examples of enslave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The world cannot stay silent while migrant workers are enslaved, abused and discarded. Samindra Kunti, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025 At the time, the group was enslaving women, carrying out mass executions, and staging terrorist attacks around the world. Sacha Pfeiffer, NPR, 27 May 2025 But throughout the series, he became increasingly repulsed by these actions, which included enslaving thousands of women. Barry Levitt, Time, 27 May 2025 In his Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump argued that the amendment was meant only to grant citizenship to the children of people who were enslaved before the end of the Civil War. Dan Mangan, CNBC, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for enslave

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of enslave was in 1605

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enslave. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

enslave

verb
en·​slave in-ˈslāv How to pronounce enslave (audio)
: to force into slavery
enslavement noun
enslaver noun

More from Merriam-Webster on enslave

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!