1. a system of labor in which workers are bound in servitude to their employer, typically through debt
Usage: historical; legal

Examples

• Peonism was common in parts of the American Southwest during the 19th century.
• The practice of peonism trapped workers in cycles of debt they could never escape.
• Laws were eventually passed to abolish peonism and other forms of involuntary servitude.
• Historical records document how peonism exploited migrant laborers.
• The abolition of peonism was an important step toward labor rights.
• Peonism differed from slavery in that it was based on debt rather than ownership.