as in slaves
a person in the past who belonged to a low social class and who lived and worked on land owned by another person
Medieval serfs who tended land owned by a lord.
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Recent Examples of serfs
Serfdom came with a set of customary privileges and obligations, and serfs were often keen to assert their rights.
—
Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serfs
Noun
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Several years later, then-President Abraham Lincoln, a member of the Republican Party, issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, freeing all slaves living in Confederate states who were against the Union.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Mar. 2026
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People don't know that the Republicans are the party that freed the slaves.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The latter is less of a mother to Agnes than Rosa (Kira Guloien), one of the household’s many Marthas (put-upon domestic servants).—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
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Her house is immense and kept in immaculate condition by her family’s servants (the Marthas).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serfs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serfs. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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