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
Whaling was also one of the few industries where Black Americans, both free and formerly enslaved, could make money and become wealthy.
—Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
An outnumbered Dunmore published the continent’s first emancipation proclamation, granting freedom to those enslaved by patriots—if those freedmen would then fight for the king.
—Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
There’s the initial mystery of what happened to Sethe, the book’s central character, when she was enslaved.
—The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Saint Louis University planned a public apology for its role in enslaving Black people generations ago, but descendants of the enslaved have refused.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2025
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Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
An outnumbered Dunmore published the continent’s first emancipation proclamation, granting freedom to those enslaved by patriots—if those freedmen would then fight for the king.
—Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
There’s the initial mystery of what happened to Sethe, the book’s central character, when she was enslaved.
—The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Saint Louis University planned a public apology for its role in enslaving Black people generations ago, but descendants of the enslaved have refused.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 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 15 Apr. 2025.
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