enslaved

American  

[en-sleyvd] / ɛnˈsleɪvd /

adjective

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• unenslaved adjective

Etymology

Origin of enslaved

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

Example Sentences

So if we’re going to tie the status of children to whether their parents are “domiciled,” under Sauer’s own theory, why would the children of formerly enslaved people be citizens at all?

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

But so far, no country has ever paid reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans or affected African, Caribbean and Latin American nations.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was something Thoreau not just railed against but acted against, smuggling several enslaved people to Canada.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

And the U.S. began that relationship with the free Cuban people, many of whom had been enslaved by Spain, not by inviting them to the negotiation table in France but by dictating terms.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Throughout this book, the actual words of formerly enslaved people are sometimes used as they were recorded many years ago.

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

Related Words

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