servidumbre

servitude

noun sehr-bee-DOOM-breh Rare

Also means

serfdom

Usage Note

Servidumbre has two main registers: historical (feudal serfdom or slavery) and legal (an easement or right-of-way over another's land, servidumbre de paso). In literary or elevated speech it can also refer collectively to the domestic servants of a household, treated as a group noun. Do not confuse with servilismo (sycophancy).

Examples

"La servidumbre fue abolida en el siglo XIX."

Natural Translation

Serfdom was abolished in the nineteenth century.

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