Meaning & use
slavery
The system or condition of owning people as property and forcing them to work without pay or freedom.
See it in a sentence
Slavery was legally abolished in the United States by the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.
Historians study how slavery shaped the economies of many colonial societies.
A note on using this word
Modern usage also includes 'modern slavery,' referring to forced labor and human trafficking that persist today.
Words with a similar meaning
bondageservitude
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “slavery”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.