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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.
Examples of subjugate in a Sentence
Eli Amdur, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, its long-term strategic goals remain unchanged: to subjugate Ukraine, weaken the Western security architecture, and establish a multipolar world dominated by a handful of powerful nations.
—Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
Once again, Ukraine will be forced to subjugate itself in the name of global stability and peace.
—John Shelton, National Review, 28 Feb. 2025
The organization championed self-determination and economic independence for Black people at a time when Jim Crow laws oppressed African Americans and colonization subjugated Africans on their own continent.
—Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 24 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Subjugate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjugate. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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subjugate
verb
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