subjugation

noun

Definition of subjugationnext
as in conquest
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control the subjugation of much of Europe by Napoléon

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of subjugation The film, about Spain’s colonial subjugation of the Philippines, is one of the Filipino auteur’s shorter features running ‘only’ 2 hours 31 minutes. — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026 The Civil War breaking out just a century later showcases why white supremacy and the subjugation of Black people and people of color have meant a certain level of instability for many American citizens since the very beginning. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 June 2026 Baldwin’s position was that the centrality of slavery and racial subjugation in American history could not simply be reversed by legislative fiat. — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 Maybe the typical wedding remains an exercise in female subjugation and compulsory heterosexuality, but straight women aren’t the only characters suffering at the altar. — Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026 For many Indians, the loss of the Koh-i-Noor is symbolic of the country's subjugation under colonial rule. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026 Across TikTok, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, Goodreads, and Reddit, reactions have focused less on the craft of fiction writing than on the spiritual subjugation of women that any media about this topic must, by nature, interrogate and include. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026 That power was built up over centuries partly to compensate for the humiliation, subjugation, and grievous bondage of Russia’s history, real and imagined. — Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026 In pre-Christian Ireland, sucking breasts was a way of showing subjugation to a king and the cutting out of Old Croghan Man’s nipples is, historians believe, an indication that he had been thus stripped of his claims to kingship. — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subjugation
  1. conquest
  2. domination
  3. dominating
Noun
  • The taboos against assassination, targeting civilians, and embarking on wars of territorial conquest are vanishing.
    — Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • From farther north Ahmad Shah Durrani led as many as eight conquests into India, specifically into the Punjab and Delhi.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of conquest
Noun
  • The Duke commitment lived up to his Power 4 billing, rushing for 196 yards and six touchdowns and throwing for 163 yards and a score in a 57-21 domination of Colquitt County.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • State lawmakers can show that the domination of hyperscale AI data centers over our communities is not an inevitability.
    — Jorge Aguilar, Baltimore Sun, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of domination
Noun
  • In the fall, McAfee will be a full part of the ESPN presentation nearly every day of the week — and on Mondays, a dominating presence day and night.
    — Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike human will, which can be self-serving, dominating, unjustly conditional, or confusingly unfair, God’s will is wise, loving, free, impartial, and infinitely insightful.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of dominating

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subjugating
subjugation
subjugator
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Cite this Entry

“Subjugation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugation. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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