enslave

[en-sleyv]

verb (used with object)

enslaved, enslaving 

1. to make a slave of; hold (someone) in slavery or bondage.

   Spartacus was enslaved by the Romans, fought as a gladiator, and later led an insurrection in 73 B.C.

   Synonyms: dominate, control, shackle, enchain
   Antonyms: release, liberate, free

enslave

/ ɪnˈsleɪv /

verb

1. (tr) to make a slave of; reduce to slavery; subjugate

Other Word Forms

• enslavement noun
• enslaver noun
• reenslave verb (used with object)
• reenslavement noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of enslave¹

First recorded in 1635–45; en- ¹ + slave

Example Sentences

Once upon a time, in places like pre-Civil War Virginia and North Carolina, the law forbade enslaved people from gathering for any reason, even to worship.

From Salon

Musicologists have discovered the origin of the rhythmic patterns of what became this Baroque era vehicle for the transmigration of souls in dances carried by enslaved Africans to 16th century Spain.

From Los Angeles Times

A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research places the rate of white Southern households that owned enslaved people at around 21%.

From Salon

Powe’s relatives belonged to the Knights, named for a 17th century Spanish Jesuit who ministered to enslaved people in Colombia and is the country’s patron saint.

From Los Angeles Times

A significant part of the islands' population descended from enslaved West and Central Africans, who were forcibly transported to the Caribbean by European merchants in the 17th and 18th Centuries.

From BBC

Related Words

• coerce 
• deprive 
• disenfranchise 
• imprison 
• incarcerate 
• oppress 
• shackle 
• subjugate 
• suppress