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.
The emperor's armies subjugated the surrounding lands.
a people subjugated by invaders
Recent Examples on the WebLeading his fellow countrymen, Tell embarks on a courageous rebellion, seeking to defend their liberty and stand against the tyrannical forces that seek to subjugate them.—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 May 2024 Based on the French novel La Planète des singes by author Pierre Boulle, which was first published in 1963, the Planet of the Apes franchise is a series of science fiction films about the on-going struggle between man and ape in the future society where apes rule the world and man is subjugated.—Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024 Ukrainians note that Putin’s war plan—to subjugate Ukraine and to seize as much of its territory as possible—is unchanged.—Jonathan Steele, The New York Review of Books, 21 Mar. 2024 Austin cited a grim array of costs to Moscow from its campaign to subjugate Ukraine: 315,000 Russian troops killed or wounded; 20 of its medium- and large-sized naval vessels damaged or destroyed; more than $1 trillion in unrealized economic growth.—Missy Ryan, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for subjugate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subjugate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin subjugatus, past participle of subjugare, from sub- + jugum yoke — more at yoke
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