ENSLAVER Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

enslaver

noun

Definition of enslaver

as in slaveholder

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of enslaver From the ages of 12 to about 22, Harriet Jacobs lived under the watch of her enslaver, a wealthy physician named James Norcom Sr. — Mollie Barnes, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025 Eliza was eventually turned over to a bounty hunter, who, along with her original enslaver, went to Chicago and captured her, apparently dragging her down Adams Street, Krupa said. — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026 While all colonial enslavers were anxious about the possibility of poisoning plots in general, other, more local, even personal, concerns existed, such as an enslaver’s fear that one of his captives might try to hasten his death by putting something toxic in his food. — Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026 And in my hometown of Philadelphia, over a dozen displays about slavery at Independence National Park — including an exhibit describing George Washington as an enslaver — have been flagged for review. — Jonathan Zimmerman, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enslaver

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enslaver

Noun

Like the president, Thompson was a Southern slaveholder.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
In 1851, an armed mob surrounded a group of agents led by a slaveholder, Edward Gorsuch, in Christiana, Pennsylvania, who were attempting to return four fugitives to his farm, in Maryland; Gorsuch was shot and killed.

— Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026

Definition of slaveholder

Noun

In many different regions, groups seeking sanctuary from raids by slavers created new settlements during the 17th and 18th centuries.

— Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
The faceless head of a man bobbing in the water recalls the countless Africans who perished during the perilous journey due to disease, malnourishment, and abuse, whose bodies were thrown overboard by unscrupulous ship captains and slavers to schools of sharks.

— James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026

Definition of slaver

Noun

These were to control the lives and control the movements, control any attempt at owning property, any attempt at physical liberty, really, for the freedmen.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Founded and incorporated in 1887, Eatonville became one of the first towns to be successfully established by African American freedmen.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Apr. 2026

Definition of freedman

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enslavements

enslaver

enslavers

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“Enslaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enslaver. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of enslaver

noun

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