1. the condition or practice of being a helot; serfdom or slavery, especially the system of forced labor imposed on a conquered people.
Usage: often historical or literary; derived from the helots of ancient Sparta
2. a state of oppression or subjugation; harsh or degrading treatment of a group of people.
Usage: figurative or extended use

Examples

• The ancient Spartan system of helotry bound conquered peoples to the land as virtual slaves.
• Historians debate the extent and severity of helotry in classical Greece.
• The novel depicts the helotry endured by the lower classes under the tyrant's rule.
• Economic policies that trap workers in poverty can be compared to modern forms of helotry.
• The abolition movement fought against the helotry that had defined the American South.
• Scholars examine how helotry shaped the social structure of ancient civilizations.