subjugation
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of subjugation
First recorded in 1425–75; from Late Latin subjugation-, stem of subjugatio, equivalent to subjugat(us), past participle of subjugare “to make subject” + -io -ion ( def. ); see subjugate ( def. )
Explanation
Subjugation is like oppression or conquest: one group takes control over another and forces them to do as they're told. Subjugation is one of many types of injustice in the world. It has to do with one group of people dominating another group by taking away their freedom. When slavery was legal in the U.S., that was a clear-cut case of subjugation: African-Americans were forced to live without rights, under the control of their white owners. To remember this word, think of its Latin root subjugat, which means "brought under a yoke."
Vocabulary lists containing subjugation
Words from "The Avengers"
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The Pearl
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"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry (1775)
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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.
I disclosed no such Suspicion, but said to him simply, “Slavery & Subjugation shall soon enough fall away, sir.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Subjugation of Tarentum 65 Conquest of Italy 65 273.
From A Smaller History of Rome by Smith, William, Sir
Subjugation of a united people, such as ours, occupying such a vast extent of territory, is impossible.
From A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital by Jones, John Beauchamp
Mrs. Taylor had written an article on the "Subjugation of Women"—would Mr. Mill take it home with him and read it, or would he like to hear her read a little of it now?
From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 13 Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Lovers by Hubbard, Elbert
Subjugation; the measures of the United States Government in Missouri designed for the subjugation of the State, 423.
From The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government by Davis, Jefferson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
