slave state
noun
1
: a state of the U.S. in which slavery was legal until the Civil War
2
: a nation subjected to totalitarian rule
Examples of slave state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the United States, the unholy compromises with the Southern slave states in the antebellum era is a case in point.
—
Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
But then a roadblock emerged: at the time, the U.S. had an equal number of free and slave states.
— Made By History, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
Anti-slavery tracts were banned from the U.S. mail in slave states, and bounties were offered for the capture of fugitives.
—Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
Additionally, no new slave states would be created north of the 36°30′ line of latitude.
— Made By History, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slave state
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.
Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
But then a roadblock emerged: at the time, the U.S. had an equal number of free and slave states.
— Made By History, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
Anti-slavery tracts were banned from the U.S. mail in slave states, and bounties were offered for the capture of fugitives.
—Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
Additionally, no new slave states would be created north of the 36°30′ line of latitude.
— Made By History, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slave state
Cite this Entry
“Slave state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slave%20state. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share