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Synonyms

peonage

American  
[pee-uh-nij] / ˈpi ə nɪdʒ /

noun

  1. the condition or service of a peon.

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

peonage British  
/ ˈpiːəˌnɪzəm, ˈpiːənɪdʒ /

noun

  1. the state of being a peon

  2. 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
peonage Cultural  

  1. 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.

Etymology

Origin of peonage

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; peon 1 + -age

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.

Peonage was abolished in the island by the United States in February 1900.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad" by Various

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.