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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.
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Examples of subjugate in a Sentence
Kyle Balzer, Foreign Affairs, 21 Nov. 2024
That message is stark: that the security of Europe and America itself would suffer if Russia succeeds in subjugating a neighboring country for having chosen to align itself with the democratic West.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2024
The story explores how violence and power subjugate the weak, how sacrifices are falsely justified for the 'greater good,' and how the normalization of such sacrifices can turn anyone into a monster.
—Regina Kim, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Rather, Beijing’s persistent use of similar tactics in nearby waters suggests such actions are the primary methods in a patient, long-term strategy aimed at subjugating Taiwan without resorting to an invasion.
—Isaac Kardon, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2024
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“Subjugate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjugate. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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subjugate
verb
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