verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɪnˈsleɪv/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪv
CMU ARPABET:EH0 N S L EY1 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
The migrants will be enslaved once they're no longer useful to the oligarchs; make no mistake about that.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
make a slave of; bring into servitude
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: subjugate, subject
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Old French en-bor. Middle English en- English en- substrateder.? Proto-Indo-European *ḱlewH-der.? Proto-Slavic *slov- Proto-Slavic *-ǫta Proto-Slavic *Slov-? Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ēnas Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Slavic *-inъ Proto-Slavic *-ěninъ Proto-Slavic *slověninъder. Ancient Greek Σκλαβηνός (Sklabēnós)der. Byzantine Greek Σκλᾰ́βος (Sklắbos)bor. Late Latin Sclavus Medieval Latin sclavusbor. Old French esclavebor. Middle English sclave English slave English enslave From en- + slave.
Across languages
Translations
70 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
اِسْتَعْبَدَ
(istaʕbada)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Arabic:
اِسْتَرَقَّ
(istaraqqa)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Armenian:
ստրկացնել
(strkacʻnel)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Azerbaijani:
qul etmək
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Azerbaijani:
əsarət altına almaq
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Azerbaijani:
kölə halına salmaq
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Azerbaijani:
kölələşdirmək
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Azerbaijani:
qullaşdırmaq
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Belarusian:
заняво́льваць
(zanjavólʹvacʹ)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Belarusian:
заняво́ліць
(zanjavólicʹ)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Bulgarian:
поро́бвам
(poróbvam)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Bulgarian:
поро́бя
(poróbja)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Catalan:
esclavitzar
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Chinese Mandarin:
奴役
(núyì)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Czech:
zotročovat
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Czech:
zotročit
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Danish:
gøre til slave
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Danish:
slavebinde
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Dutch:
knechten
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Esperanto:
sklavigi
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Estonian:
orjastama
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Finnish:
orjuuttaa
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
French:
réduire en esclavage
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
French:
esclavager
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
French:
asservir
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Galician:
escravizar
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
German:
versklaven
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Gothic:
𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌸𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌽
(anaþiwan)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Greek:
υποδουλώνω
(ypodoulóno)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Ancient Greek:
δουλόω
(doulóō)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Ancient Greek:
ἀνδραποδίζω
(andrapodízō)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Hungarian:
rabszolgává tesz
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Irish:
daor
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Italian:
asservire
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Japanese:
奴隷にする
(dorei ni suru)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Khmer:
ដាក់ជាទាសករ
(dak ciə tiəh kɑɑ)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Korean:
노예로 만들다
(noye-ro mandeulda)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Latin:
servum faciō
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Macedonian:
поробува
(porobuva)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Macedonian:
пороби
(porobi)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Māori:
whakamōkai
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Māori:
whakataurekareka
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Māori:
whakapononga
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Middle English:
thrallen
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Old Norse:
þrælka
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Polish:
zniewalać
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Polish:
zniewolić
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Portuguese:
escravizar
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Romanian:
aservi
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Romanian:
robi
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Romanian:
înrobi
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Russian:
порабоща́ть
(poraboščátʹ)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Russian:
поработи́ть
(porabotítʹ)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Scottish Gaelic:
daor
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Serbo-Croatian:
поробља́вати
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Serbo-Croatian:
поробљи́вати
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Serbo-Croatian:
поро̀бити
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Serbo-Croatian:
porobljávati
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Serbo-Croatian:
porobljívati
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Serbo-Croatian:
poròbiti
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Slovak:
zotročovať
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Slovak:
zotročiť
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Slovene:
zasužnjevati
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Slovene:
zasužnjiti
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Spanish:
esclavizar
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Swedish:
förslava
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Turkish:
köleleştirmek
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Ukrainian:
понево́лювати
(ponevóljuvaty)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Ukrainian:
понево́лити
(ponevólyty)
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
Vietnamese:
nô dịch
— to make subservient; to strip one of freedom; enthrall
