1. the practice of owning people as property and forcing them to work without pay
2. the condition of being owned by another person and forced to work without pay
3. hard work done for very little money or under very bad conditions
Usage: figurative

Examples

• Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865.
• Many people were forced into slavery and sold at markets.
• The museum has exhibits about the history of slavery in America.
• She escaped from slavery and became a famous abolitionist.
• Working in that factory felt like slavery with the long hours and low pay.
• The Underground Railroad helped people flee from slavery to freedom.
• He wrote a book about his experiences in slavery.