Did you know?
Since jugus means "yoke" in Latin, subjugate means literally "bring under the yoke". Farmers control oxen by means of a heavy wooden yoke over their shoulders. In ancient Rome, conquered soldiers, stripped of their uniforms, might actually be forced to pass under an ox yoke as a sign of submission to the Roman victors. Even without an actual yoke, what happens to a population that has come under the control of another can be every bit as humiliating. In dozens of countries throughout the world, ethnic minorities are denied basic rights and view themselves as subjugated by their country's government, army, and police.
Examples of subjugate in a Sentence
David Niven, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2025
Trump underestimated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s determination to subjugate Ukraine and has consequently failed to confront the Kremlin with the coercive pressure needed to stop its ongoing aggression.
—Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2025
Today, less than 100 years after Lincoln’s death, Stalin brags that this Communist specter is not only haunting the world, but is about to completely subjugate it.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 24 Mar. 2025
Fascist commanders are still subjugating and torturing women and children.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subjugate
Cite this Entry
“Subjugate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjugate. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subjugate
verb
Share