Did you know?
Since jugus means "yoke" in Latin, subjugate means literally "bring under the yoke". Farmers control oxen by means of a heavy wooden yoke over their shoulders. In ancient Rome, conquered soldiers, stripped of their uniforms, might actually be forced to pass under an ox yoke as a sign of submission to the Roman victors. Even without an actual yoke, what happens to a population that has come under the control of another can be every bit as humiliating. In dozens of countries throughout the world, ethnic minorities are denied basic rights and view themselves as subjugated by their country's government, army, and police.
Synonyms
Examples of subjugate in a Sentence
Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
After subjugating all of Ukraine, Putin would probably focus on the Baltic states—NATO members covered by the alliance’s security umbrella but claimed as historic Russian lands by Putin.
—Hans Binnendijk, Foreign Affairs, 13 May 2024
But the threat of escalation is key to subjugating Taiwan without large-scale warfare.
—Kyle Balzer, Foreign Affairs, 21 Nov. 2024
That message is stark: that the security of Europe and America itself would suffer if Russia succeeds in subjugating a neighboring country for having chosen to align itself with the democratic West.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for subjugate 
Dictionary Entries Near subjugate
Cite this Entry
“Subjugate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjugate. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subjugate
verb
Share