1. plural of helotism; the condition, practice, or system of treating people as helots (serfs or slaves bound to the land); a state of servitude or bondage.
Usage: historical; formal; often used in academic or historical contexts

Examples

• Ancient Sparta's helotisms created a rigid social hierarchy that persisted for centuries.
• The historian examined various helotisms across different civilizations and time periods.
• Medieval helotisms bound peasants to the land in ways that limited their personal freedom.
• Scholars debate the extent to which helotisms differed from chattel slavery in their legal and social implications.
• The abolition movement sought to end all forms of helotisms and forced labor worldwide.