Middle Passage

noun

: the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas

Examples of Middle Passage 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.
Genetics is also adding to local records' searches to track migrations since a family's Middle Passage arrival in the Americas. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024 His second, Roots, Heart, Soul: The Story, Celebration, and Recipes of Afro Cuisine in America, centers African Diasporic cuisine, tracing his ancestors’ journey to North America from the Middle Passage through the Caribbean to Chicago. The Bon Appétit and Epicurious Staffs, Bon Appétit, 10 Dec. 2024 African Americans used music from the Middle Passage through slavery, and through other generations. Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024 Locally, they are also seen as a tribute to those lost throughout the slave trade due to the proximity to the harrowing Middle Passage, with the shackle-like metal that connects the children’s arms. Natalie Preddie, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Middle Passage 

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Middle Passage was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near Middle Passage

Cite this Entry

“Middle Passage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Middle%20Passage. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

Middle Passage

noun
: the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas

More from Merriam-Webster on Middle Passage

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!