peonage

[ pee-uh-nij ]

noun

1. the condition or service of a peon.
2. the practice of holding persons in servitude or partial slavery, as to work off a debt or to serve a penal sentence.

peonage

/ ˈpiːəˌnɪzəm; ˈpiːənɪdʒ /

noun

1. the state of being a peon
2. a system in which a debtor must work for his creditor until the debt is paid off

peonage

1. A system of forced labor based on debts incurred by workers. Peonage developed particularly in plantation economies, where employers forced laborers to buy from employer-owned stores, pay inflated prices, and stay in debt.

Word History and Origins

Origin of peonage¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; peon ¹ + -age

Example Sentences

Some 50 million people are in debt peonage to student loan companies.

From Salon

Rather, the poorer and more vulnerable you are, the more you are exploited, thrust into a hellish debt peonage from which there is no escape.

From Salon

New Jersey's William Houston, a mathematics professor and abolitionist who served as a captain in Washington's army, concurred — although he was more concerned with not wanting to encourage laws that maintained slavery and debt peonage.

From Salon

The peonage system lasted across the South for seven decades until World War II, yet many Americans have never heard of it.

From Seattle Times

Smith was immediately taken into Adult Protective Services, and Edwards was charged with second-degree assault and “attempt to establish peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude or human trafficking.”

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• bondage
• captivity
• enslavement
• serfdom
• servitude
• subjugation