chattel slavery

noun

: slavery in which a person is owned as a chattel (see chattel sense 2)
chattel slave noun
plural chattel slaves

Examples of chattel slavery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For Jewish communities, the Exodus represents liberation from chattel slavery and the birth of a nation grounded in faith and freedom. Jesse Jackson Jr, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026 But although unfree labor was the norm, with a few exceptions there was not yet the form of permanent, heritable, racialized chattel slavery that would emerge in the Atlantic economies, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries. Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 While Uncle Tom’s Cabin played an important role in shaping antislavery sentiment ahead of the Civil War—which eventually led to a formal, if unevenly realized, end to chattel slavery—the novel has since faced significant criticism. Tara Ramanathan, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Mar. 2026 The notion that these reparations were intended to benefit all descendants of chattel slavery regardless of race ignores the undeniable evidence to the contrary. Andrew Quinio, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chattel slavery

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chattel slavery was in 1837

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Cite this Entry

“Chattel slavery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chattel%20slavery. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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