SLAVERY Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

slavery

noun

ˈslā-v(ə-)rē

Definition of slavery

as in enslavement

the state of being an enslaved person a child born into slavery

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in labor

very hard or unpleasant work endured the slavery of working in the coal mines every day of his adult life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 slavery America, whose Constitution was formulated by white men, struggled to live up to its founding ideals in the days of slavery and displacement of Native Americans. — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Defenders of slavery claimed that the institution was required by the natural hierarchy of humans reflected in the Constitution’s provisions. — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026 In 1776, the year the Declaration of Independence was signed, Quakers made a formal stance against slavery, prohibiting followers of the faith from engaging in the institution. — Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 July 2026 The cast stood in the New York City Council Chamber until 2021, when it was removed to New York Historical for contextualization in light of Jefferson’s appalling legacy on race and slavery. — Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for slavery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slavery

Noun

Salem Poor Salem Poor was born into enslavement around 1747 and grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, according to the NPS.

— Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 4 July 2026
The beverage that fueled conversations that inspired America's fight for independence — centered on the ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — depended on enslavement.

— James Doubek, NPR, 3 July 2026

Definition of enslavement

Noun

Advocates viewed Cal/OSHA’S recognition of the detainees as workers as a victory that could pave the way for future labor rights fights at other detention centers in the state.

— Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
In response to the labor violations miners faced, Buh founded the American Slovene Catholic Union.

— Vivian Wilson, Twin Cities, 8 July 2026

Definition of labor

Noun

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

— Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
On the other hand, the court dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims that withholding privileges or credits constituted involuntary servitude.

— Julia Bowling, The Conversation, 29 May 2026

Definition of servitude

Noun

But the effort was set aside after the onset of COVID-19, which caused massive disruptions across the Los Angeles Unified School District, said Michael Trujillo, a political strategist for Gonez.

— Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Both countries have stepped up efforts to safeguard freedom of navigation and uphold international law in the strait, including hosting a summit with 51 other nations in April.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026

Definition of effort

Noun

Among the notable elements of the Compromise of 1850 were the admission of California to the Union as a free state, but also a federal fugitive-slave law that empowered federal authorities and federal courts to seize people who had escaped bondage.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
The 14th Amendment, granting citizenship to those who were held in bondage, was ratified in December 1868 and the 15th Amendment, extending voting rights to Black men was ratified in February 1870.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026

Definition of bondage

Noun

Many leaders are rightly enthusiastic about how AI can help reduce burnout, eliminate drudgery and free people up for more meaningful work.

— Carrie Varoquiers, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Sea Rangers offer a Swiss Army knife’s dexterity, pursuing government contracts across the European Union and United Kingdom to tackle the tedium of climate compliance and the drudgery of clearing those backlogs.

— Richard Morgan, Time, 29 June 2026

Definition of drudgery

Noun

When the Spanish settlers decamped for Cuba in 1763 after ceding Florida to the English, the few surviving Tequesta, their numbers decimated by 200 years of captivity and slavery, conflict and ill treatment, are believed to have departed with them.

— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Today, 160 servicemembers were released from captivity.

— Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026

Definition of captivity

Noun

Audit which MLOps automations cut toil versus which just shifted work to data scientists.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Pure white cloth, born in the murderous toil of slavery, formed in debilitating factory conditions, and finished through the agony of Sicilian children, was bleached in more ways than one.

— Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 15 June 2026

Definition of toil

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slavers

slavery

slaves

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

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Synonyms of slavery

noun

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