peonage

[pee-uh-nij]

See more synonyms for peonage on Thesaurus.com

noun

the condition or service of a peon.
the practice of holding persons in servitude or partial slavery, as to work off a debt or to serve a penal sentence.

Origin of peonage

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; peon¹ + -age

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for peonage

serfdom, enslavement, bondage, subjugation, labor, servitude, captivity, yoke, thralldom, thrall, obedience, confinement, subjection, peonage, bonds, vassalage, enthrallment, restraint, work, grind

Examples from the Web for peonage

Historical Examples of peonage

Is it a wonder that he has resolved to go where peonage and blood-hounds are unknown?
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919
Various
The master was tried for peonage in Texas, but was not convicted.
The Southern South
Albert Bushnell Hart
However, the peonage system is not hideous everywhere and in all its aspects.
The Andes of Southern Peru
Isaiah Bowman
The truth is that peonage is repugnant to the average American.
The Philippines Past and Present (Volume 2 of 2)
Dean Conant Worcester
But they were just a bunch of pariahs shipped here to live in peonage.
Badge of Infamy
Lester del Rey

British Dictionary definitions for peonage

peonage

peonism (ˈpiːəˌnɪzəm)

noun

the state of being a peon
a system in which a debtor must work for his creditor until the debt is paid off

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for peonage

1848, American English, from peon + -age.

peonage in Culture

peonage

[(pee-uh-nij)]

A system of forced labor based on debts incurred by workers. Peonage developed particularly in plantation economies, where employers forced laborers to buy from employer-owned stores, pay inflated prices, and stay in debt.