enslaved; enslaving; enslaves
: to force into or as if into slavery : subjugate
The building holds bronze statues of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, who were born, and enslaved, on Maryland's Eastern Shore.—
Evan Osnos
Evan OsnosIt has long been known that Nordic warriors established outposts more than a millennium ago on Poland's Baltic coast, enslaving indigenous Slavic peoples to supply a booming slave trade, as well trading in salt, amber and other commodities.—Andrew Higgins
Andrew HigginsThis oddly contradictory view of artificial intelligence is somehow a perfect symbol of AI's place in our imaginations at this moment in history—something that will eliminate countless jobs, a boost for creativity, an end to drudgery, or perhaps a monstrous force that will take over our planet and enslave humanity.—Minda Zetlin
Minda Zetlin
enslavement
in-ˈslāv-mənt 
noun
en-
plural enslavements
… the continued enslavement of millions of human beings after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
—Juan Cole
Juan Cole
sexual/economic enslavement
Examples of enslave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The 14th Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution in 1868, following the Civil War, and granted citizenship and freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 16 May 2025
The new school is named after a woman from the Parkville area who was enslaved by George Park, for whom Park University is named.
—Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025
This was passed — as the president pointed out — largely to grant citizenship to formerly enslaved people and their children.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025
Also serving temporarily as the assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau in the state, Ord worked to protect the formerly enslaved from attack.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Apr. 2025
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Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 16 May 2025
The new school is named after a woman from the Parkville area who was enslaved by George Park, for whom Park University is named.
—Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025
This was passed — as the president pointed out — largely to grant citizenship to formerly enslaved people and their children.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025
Also serving temporarily as the assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau in the state, Ord worked to protect the formerly enslaved from attack.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Cite this Entry
“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enslave. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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