Synonyms

enslaved

American

[en-sleyvd] / ɛnˈsleɪvd /

adjective

made a slave; held in slavery or bondage.

Enslaved people were seen not as people at all but as commodities to be bought, sold, and exploited.

Other Word Forms

unenslaved adjective

Etymology

Origin of enslaved

First recorded in 1660–70; enslave ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

George took advantage of the chaos to arrange the daring escape of his family and 50 other enslaved people.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The result is an inspiring portrait of an enslaved man whose “relentless pursuit of greater liberty,” Mr. O’Malley writes, “pushed America toward those lofty ideals despite being disenfranchised.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

In the 1800s, some formerly enslaved Africans and their descendants migrated back to the continent from countries like Brazil and Cuba.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

So domicile can’t be the rule, because then you can’t unproblematically grant citizenship to the children of formerly enslaved people.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

By the summer of 1781, Isaac and the rest of Jefferson’s enslaved people had joined thousands of African Americans in this small tobacco port on the Chesapeake Bay.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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