as in peonage
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Recent Examples of serfdom
That book, Caliban and the Witch, traces the emergence of witch hunts throughout medieval Western Europe amid the transition from serfdom to proto-capitalism.
—
Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024
Johnson envisioned a postwar order in which former slaves would transition into permanent serfdom, destined for labor but no independent economic life and no place in politics.
—David W. Blight, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020
As the Big Three continue to drive down the road to serfdom, car production will continue in the United States.
—The Editors, National Review, 18 Sep. 2023
Following Mexico's independence in 1821, a small landowning elite replaced the colonial rulers, and most of the farmers (except those who joined farming collectives) transitioned from slavery to serfdom.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for serfdom
Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024
Johnson envisioned a postwar order in which former slaves would transition into permanent serfdom, destined for labor but no independent economic life and no place in politics.
—David W. Blight, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020
As the Big Three continue to drive down the road to serfdom, car production will continue in the United States.
—The Editors, National Review, 18 Sep. 2023
Following Mexico's independence in 1821, a small landowning elite replaced the colonial rulers, and most of the farmers (except those who joined farming collectives) transitioned from slavery to serfdom.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for serfdom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serfdom
Noun
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Roughly 12% were of African descent — newly unshackled, technically free and already being legally recaptured under other names: peonage, vagrancy laws, convict leasing.—
Jack Hill,
Baltimore Sun,
17 May 2025
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Ryan Coogler didn’t want to hide anymore The film conveys two forms of peonage prominent in the 1930s South—labor arrangements not far removed from slavery.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2025
Noun
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There was, however, a fateful exception: slavery or involuntary servitude would remain permissible as punishment for crimes.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
30 June 2025
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Later that year, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Born into slavery in 1850, Goode was freed at the end of the Civil War in 1865 and moved to Chicago.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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David Bond offered a class called The Atlantic World, much of which involved the history of slavery and the slave trade.—
Brooke Allen,
New Yorker,
12 July 2025
Noun
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The telescopic arms of the yoke enable smooth adjustments so the headphones can fit a variety of head shapes and sizes.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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On its second test flight, however, the pilot was not available and Smolinski and Blake decided to take the wheel/yoke.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Slavery was protected by law, and the Fugitive Slave Act criminalized helping people escape bondage.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
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Beneath the bondage and demands, there’s genuine caring between Ray and Colin, like when the former assembles his crew to celebrate the latter’s birthday, or when Ray helps a grieving Colin collect himself.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
18 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Serfdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serfdom. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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