NYT Dictionary
BONDAGE
/ˈbɔn.dɪdʒ/NounBOND-agebond-age · 2 syllablesGrade 10
Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2026
Meaning
The state of being enslaved or the practice of slavery.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
Inherited from Middle English bondage (“serfdom”), from British Medieval Latin bondagium (“an inferior tenure held by a bond or husbandman”), from Middle English bond (“tenant farmer, serf”), from Old English bonda (“householder, husband, head of a family”), of Old Norse origin. Sense development influenced by the unrelated terms bond and bind.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
slaverythrallthralldomthraldomabsolutismcaptivitycontroldisenfranchisementdisfranchisementdomination
Antonyms
freedom
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle, including a pangram: