indentured

C1 Topic:Work & Careers

US /ɪnˈdɛntʃərd/ UK /ɪnˈdɛntʃəd/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
bound by a formal contract to work for another for a specified time, often without pay in exchange for passage to a new country

Many immigrants arrived as indentured servants, working for years to pay off their passage.
2

adj
relating to a legal agreement that specifies terms of service or labor

The indentured agreement outlined the conditions of employment for the workers.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · bound by a formal contract... contracted bondedobligatedcommitted tied

2 adj · relating to a legal... contracted bondedobligatedbound tied

Opposites

freeemancipatedunbound

Etymology

From Middle English indenture ('written agreement') + the adjective-forming suffix -ed, giving Early Modern English indentured ('bound by contract') and Modern English indentured ('bound by a formal agreement, often for labor').

Topics

Work & Careers Business & Commerce Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

# indentured

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ɪnˈdɛntʃərd
**IPA (UK):** ɪnˈdɛntʃəd

## Meanings
1. bound by a formal contract to work for another for a specified time, often without pay in exchange for passage to a new country
2. relating to a legal agreement that specifies terms of service or labor

## Examples
- Many immigrants arrived as indentured servants, working for years to pay off their passage.
- The indentured agreement outlined the conditions of employment for the workers.

## Synonyms
- contracted
- bonded
- obligated
- committed
- tied
- bound

## Antonyms
- free
- emancipated
- unbound

## Etymology
From Middle English indenture ('written agreement') + the adjective-forming suffix -ed, giving Early Modern English indentured ('bound by contract') and Modern English indentured ('bound by a formal agreement, often for labor').

## AI Etymology
Indentured comes from Middle English indenture ('written agreement') + the adjective-forming suffix -ed, giving Early Modern English indentured ('bound by contract') and Modern English indentured ('bound by a formal agreement, often for labor'). In current use it is an adjective meaning "bound by a formal contract to work for another for a specified time, often without pay in exchange for passage to a new country". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning.

## Topics
- Work & Careers
- Business & Commerce
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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indentured

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