chattel slavery

American

[chat-l slay-vuh-ree, slayv-ree] / ˈtʃæt l ˈsleɪ və ri, ˈsleɪv ri /

noun

the enslaving and owning of human beings and their offspring as property, able to be bought, sold, and forced to work without wages, as distinguished from other systems of forced, unpaid, or low-wage labor also considered to be slavery.

Etymology

Origin of chattel slavery

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

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chattel slavery

Modern monarchs have to various degrees expressed remorse for Britain's central role in chattel slavery, but none has yet formally apologised, and debt-laden London has balked at the idea of financial compensation.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

It is further insulting to gestational carriers, genetic donors, and intended parents to suggest that the mutual creation of a child is somehow akin to the bondage of chattel slavery.

From Slate ● May 13, 2026

Juneteenth celebrates the end of white-on-Black chattel slavery and the defeat of the Confederacy.

From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2025

It has been 159 years since the 13th Amendment was ratified, ending chattel slavery.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2024

Even after his release from chattel slavery, the nation grew over him, submerging him.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

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