To enslave someone means to force them to work without pay or freedom. When people are enslaved, they lose control over their own lives: they can't choose where to live, what work to do, or even stay with their families. Throughout history, enslaved people have been bought, sold, and forced to work under brutal conditions.

Slavery has existed for thousands of years across many civilizations and continents, including ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas. In the United States, slavery lasted from the 1600s until the Civil War ended it in 1865. While slavery is now illegal everywhere in the world, it still exists in some places.

Today, the word sometimes appears in figurative ways. Someone might say they feel enslaved by a video game addiction or enslaved to their phone, meaning they feel controlled by something they can't easily stop. But these uses are not as serious as the literal meaning of the word.