plural bondages
1
: a state of being bound usually by compulsion (as of law): such as
a
: slavery, serfdom
Historically, the two most prevalent types of legal bondage were serfdom and chattel slavery.—
Michael Bush
Michael BushMore than 150 years after enslaved Africans and their descendants were released from bondage through ratification of the 13th Amendment, the slavery exception continues to permit the exploitation of labor by incarcerated individuals.—Aaron Morrison
Aaron MorrisonIn the Thar desert of Pakistan, generations of families are trapped in debt bondage, forced to work for years in brick kilns to repay loans from the kiln owners.—Isaiah Reynolds et al.
Isaiah Reynolds et al.
b
: servitude or subjugation to a controlling person or force
How can one company control the world's seed supply? When one gigantic corporate entity is allowed to block farmers from planting a seed without compensating that monopoly, the farmers are held in bondage to uncontrolled price increases.—John Boyd
John BoydDo you have the freedom of self-control or are you in bondage to your desires?—David Brooks
David Brooks2
: sadomasochistic sexual practices involving the physical restraint of one partner
Synonyms
Examples of bondage in a Sentence
a population held in bondage
Recent Examples on the Web
So, bondage, sadomasochism, fetishes, and role play are examples of kinks, and these aren’t fringe penchants.
—R. O. Kwon, TIME, 17 May 2024
Rufus Burgess mined gold in the river to buy his way out of bondage.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for bondage 
R. O. Kwon, TIME, 17 May 2024
Rufus Burgess mined gold in the river to buy his way out of bondage.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for bondage
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bondage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bondage
Cite this Entry
“Bondage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bondage. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bondage
noun
bond·age
ˈbän-dij 
: the state of being an enslaved person or serf
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share