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
On March 31, 1817, New York lawmakers passed legislation declaring that every person still legally enslaved in the state would become free on July 4, 1827.
—
Tunisia Morrison,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2026
By 1798, half of the 200 men building these landmarks were enslaved.
—
Melia Patria,
ABC News,
4 July 2026
Prince Whipple Prince Whipple of Portsmouth, New Hampshire was a man enslaved by William Whipple, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
—
Catherine Messier,
The Providence Journal,
4 July 2026
Soon, Catholic missions and Spanish rancheros sprouted, first attracting local Native peoples and later, enslaving them.
—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for enslave
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Tunisia Morrison,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2026
By 1798, half of the 200 men building these landmarks were enslaved.
—
Melia Patria,
ABC News,
4 July 2026
Prince Whipple Prince Whipple of Portsmouth, New Hampshire was a man enslaved by William Whipple, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
—
Catherine Messier,
The Providence Journal,
4 July 2026
Soon, Catholic missions and Spanish rancheros sprouted, first attracting local Native peoples and later, enslaving them.
—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Cite this Entry
“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enslave. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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