chattel
Americannoun
-
Law. Often chattels a movable article of personal property.
-
Often chattels any article of tangible property other than land, buildings, and other things annexed to land.
-
a human being considered to be property; an enslaved person.
noun
-
(often plural) property law
-
an item of movable personal property, such as furniture, domestic animals, etc
-
an interest in land less than a freehold, such as a lease
-
-
personal property
Related Words
See property.
Etymology
Origin of chattel
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English chatel, from Old French; cattle
Explanation
All that stuff in your room? The books, posters, dirty sneakers and all of your other personal belongings? That's what we call chattel. Chattel refers to personal items, as opposed to actual land property. It was once used to describe slaves and cattle, which is why referring to something or someone as chattel isn't very nice — you're essentially saying they're just property, somehow less than human. Despite the fact that chattel is an outdated word these days, it's probably still safe to call your bottle cap collection worthless chattel.
Vocabulary lists containing chattel
To Kill a Mockingbird
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 19–24
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Within months of her 1836 arrival in New York, Ernestine Rose, a Polish-born rabbi’s daughter, began traveling around the United States condemning women’s subjugation, economic inequality, organized religion, and chattel slavery.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2025
Around 75% of mobile-home chattel loans come from the industry’s five biggest lenders, according to the 2021 report from the CFPB.
From Salon • Mar. 16, 2025
It has been 159 years since the 13th Amendment was ratified, ending chattel slavery.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2024
Although he welcomed the Gladstone apology in Guyana, he said the failure to acknowledge Jamaica hinted at "an unwillingness to face up to the full brutal, bestial horror of chattel slavery" in the country.
From BBC • Aug. 25, 2023
Before democracy, chattel slavery in America was born.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
