Synonyms

subjugation

American

[suhb-juh-gey-shuhn] / ˌsʌb dʒəˈgeɪ ʃən /

noun

the act, fact, or process of subjugating, or bringing under control; enslavement.

The subjugation of the American Indians happened across the country.

Other Word Forms

nonsubjugation noun
self-subjugation noun

Etymology

Origin of subjugation

First recorded in 1425–75; from Late Latin subjugation-, stem of subjugatio, equivalent to subjugat(us), past participle of subjugare “to make subject” + -io -ion ( def. ); subjugate ( 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.

Scottish investors had tried to evade economic subjugation to England by setting up an empire of their own.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Koreans began immigrating to Los Angeles in the early 1900s as Korea lost independence to Japan, with a formal subjugation in 1910.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

The 14th and 15th Amendments were ratified to establish an enduring multiracial democracy, explicitly empowering Congress to end the subjugation of nonwhite Americans.

From Slate • Oct. 15, 2025

"It must be a policy of the United States," President Harry Truman announced, "to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure."

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2025

Lynds’s achievement—the seemingly total subjugation of a large group of violent inmates—is one that would probably dazzle most correction officers and wardens today.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

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