noun

servitude

SUR-vih-tood/ˈsɜːrvɪtuːd/

The condition of being forced to serve another.

Traffickers trap vulnerable workers in servitude by threatening their families.

A woman compelled to sew garments in a small workshop, visibly shackled to her workbench while another woman takes the finished garments and directs her back to work.

Etymology

The “slave” base and state-forming ending make servitude a condition of enslavement. This developed into the broader sense of compulsory service or labor for another.

In context

Ligonier Ministries10:59

he had to work for five, or six, or seven years to pay off his debt, and while he was in this servitude, married a woman

Crucifixion: What Did Jesus Do? - Understanding the Work of Christ with R.C. Sproul

More examples

An impossible debt keeps the family in servitude.
The law prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude.
She escapes years of domestic servitude and finds a safe home.

Forms

servitude

servile adjective — Excessively willing to obey or please others.

Similar words

slavery: More specifically treats people as property under another's control.
bondage: Emphasizes captivity or loss of freedom rather than required service.