enslavement
/in'sleivmənt/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. The act of making someone a slave: The process or action of forcing a person into a condition of slavery, depriving them of personal freedom and autonomy. 2. The state of being a slave: The condition or experience of being owned and controlled by another person, subject to forced labor and servitude.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Act of making slaves):
- The brutal enslavement of captured populations was a tragic feature of ancient empires.
- The new laws were aimed at preventing the enslavement of any free citizen.
- Noun (State of being a slave):
- After his capture, he lived a life of complete enslavement.
- The memoir detailed her escape from physical and psychological enslavement.
Advanced Usage
- Figurative/Metaphorical Use: The word can be used to describe a state of being completely dominated or controlled by something non-human, such as a habit, addiction, or system.
- His enslavement to work left no time for his family.
- The enslavement to consumer debt is a modern crisis.
Variants and Related Words
- Enslave (verb): To make someone a slave.
- The conquerors sought to enslave the native population.
- Slave (noun): A person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them.
- Bondage (noun): The state of being a slave or being under control; often used synonymously with but can also imply other forms of severe restriction.
Synonyms
- Subjugation: The action of bringing someone or something under domination or control.
- Servitude: The state of being a slave or being completely subject to someone more powerful.
- Thralldom/Thraldom: The state of being in someone's power or having great power over someone.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- "Chains of enslavement": A metaphorical phrase describing the conditions or systems that keep someone in a state of slavery or oppression.
- They fought to break the chains of enslavement.
- "Economic enslavement": A phrase describing a situation where individuals are trapped in a cycle of debt or poverty that severely limits their freedom.
- The company was accused of creating a system of economic enslavement for its workers.
Noun
- the act of making slaves of your captives
- the state of being a slave
- So every bondman in his own hand bears the power to cancel his captivity--Shakespeare