enslave

American

[en-sleyv] / ɛnˈsleɪv /

verb (used with object)

enslaved, enslaving

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 British

/ ɪnˈsleɪv /

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of enslave

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

Explanation

To enslave someone is to force that person to work for no pay, to obey commands, and to lose his or her freedom. The ancient Greeks were known to enslave groups of people they defeated in military battles. It's less common today for one group of people to enslave another, but unfortunately it does still happen. You might also encounter enslave being used in a figurative way, to describe something that takes over a person's freedom to make choices in some way: "Being hooked on cigarettes just enslaves her — she tries to quit, but she can't." Enslave comes from the "make into" prefix, en-, and slave, "person who is the property of another."

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Across So Many Seas

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Superfly is constructing a device to turn all animals into mutants and enslave the human race, and the heroes enter into a color explosion epic battle to stop him.

From Washington Times • Dec. 22, 2023

They will be like, “OK, leave him alone. Don’t enslave him. He understands us.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2023

Moreover, it can be argued that every institution devised by humans has been used to enslave other humans.

From Salon • May 11, 2023

But last week Hinton quit Google so he could speak freely about his fears that A.I. systems would soon become smarter than us and gain the power to enslave or kill us.

From Slate • May 9, 2023

We expect great things from men who have made such a noble stand against the designs of their fellow-men to enslave them.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023