slaveholder

[ sleyv-hohl-der ]

noun

1. an owner of enslaved people in the institution of chattel slavery.

slaveholder

/ ˈsleɪvˌhəʊldə /

noun

1. a person who owns slaves

Derived Forms

• ˈslaveˌholding, noun

Other Words From

• slaveholding noun
• non·slaveholding adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of slaveholder¹

First recorded in 1770–80; slave + holder

Example Sentences

“All men are created equal,” wrote slaveholder Thomas Jefferson, in words that have been a source of consternation ever since.

From Salon

Many white slaveholders, especially in Virginia’s upper-class homes, considered mixed-race people a sort of status symbol, just as some people today think of a flashy car or an expensive new smartphone.

From Literature

"Wow, I'm a little bit in shock. I mean I've always thought of myself as half Puerto Rican. I didn't think my family was originally from Spain and slaveholders."

From Salon

People assume that because California was a free state, there were no enslaved people and slaveholders didn’t bring enslaved people into the state.

From New York Times

But Audubon was also a slaveholder who opposed abolition and desecrated the graves of Native Americans, a legacy which still causes harm today, Wells said.

From Seattle Times