antislavery

American  

[an-tee-sley-vuh-ree, -sleyv-ree, an-tahy-] / ˌæn tiˈsleɪ və ri, -ˈsleɪv ri, ˌæn taɪ- /

noun

1. opposition to slavery.

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adjective

1. of or relating to antislavery.

   The antislavery movement in the United States gained momentum in the early 19th century.

antislavery British  

/ ˌæntɪˈsleɪvərɪ /

adjective

1. opposed to slavery, esp slavery of Black people

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Etymology

Origin of antislavery

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; anti- + slavery

Example Sentences

He founded the True American in 1845, one of the few antislavery newspapers in the South.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

And so the leading contenders to the presidency that year were William Seward, who was staunchly antislavery, and Lincoln, who is considered to be a compromise.

From Slate • Jul. 10, 2025

In 1849, antislavery novelist Richard Henry Dana met Brown and his family in North Elba, NY, and was shocked to find Brown matter-of-factly introducing white and Black residents equally.

From Salon • Dec. 2, 2023

Predictably perhaps; the novel arrived in the throes of the antislavery debate, after the nominal end of the international slave trade and amid ongoing revolts in the United States and the Caribbean.

From New York Times • Jun. 8, 2023

In Boston, on January i, 1831, William Lloyd Garrison published the first issue of his antislavery newspaper, The Liberator.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry