1. The plural of helotry; the state or condition of being a helot (a serf or slave bound to the land in ancient Sparta or similar systems).
Usage: historical; often used in academic or historical contexts
2. Instances or systems of oppressive labor or subjugation; conditions of harsh servitude.
Usage: figurative; literary

Examples

• The helotries of ancient Sparta were a defining feature of its social structure.
• Historians study the helotries that existed in various ancient civilizations.
• The novel depicted the helotries endured by the lower classes under tyrannical rule.
• Economic helotries persisted in some regions long after formal slavery was abolished.
• The author criticized the modern helotries of wage exploitation in her essay.