enslaved; enslaving; enslaves
: 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
Evan OsnosIt 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
Andrew HigginsThis 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
Minda Zetlin
enslavement
in-ˈslāv-mənt 
noun
en-
plural enslavements
… the continued enslavement of millions of human beings after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
—Juan Cole
Juan Cole
sexual/economic enslavement
Examples of enslave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The term is a reference to a promise made to formerly enslaved Black Americans that was revoked after the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's assassination, according to NPR.
—Daniela Avila, People.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Millions of Native people were enslaved in the Americas.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
If the Lyles family’s experiences mirrored those of others captured by Rebel raiders, they were probably sold first in the Shenandoah Valley, possibly to a Virginian claiming to have once enslaved them.
—Robert Colby, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
Mahler-Werfel was described as an incorrigible antisemite who enslaved Jewish men and drove them to early graves.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enslave
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Daniela Avila, People.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Millions of Native people were enslaved in the Americas.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
If the Lyles family’s experiences mirrored those of others captured by Rebel raiders, they were probably sold first in the Shenandoah Valley, possibly to a Virginian claiming to have once enslaved them.
—Robert Colby, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
Mahler-Werfel was described as an incorrigible antisemite who enslaved Jewish men and drove them to early graves.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Cite this Entry
“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enslave. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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