thraldom means A state of bondage, slavery, or subjugation to another person. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 77 out of 100.
thraldom is pronounced /ˈθɹɔːl.dəm/.
Why “thraldom” is a great word
A state of absolute bondage, slavery, or servitude to another's will, emerging from Middle English *thraldom*, from *thrall* ("slave, serf") and the suffix *-dom* ("state, condition"). Unlike "servitude," which suggests a legal or contractual binding, or "vassalage," which implies a feudal bond of reciprocal duty, thraldom denotes a more complete and often psychological subjugation. It is the weight of an unseen chain, the fixed pattern of footsteps worn into the floor by a single, endless chore, and the slow extinguishing of any desire beyond the master's next command. It is the quiet, interior collapse of the self into a territory owned by another, where the will itself becomes the final and most intimate possession.
Etymology
From Middle English thraldom, þraldom. Compare Danish trældom, Norwegian trelldom, Swedish träldom. By surface analysis, thral(l) + -dom.
noun
- A state of bondage, slavery, or subjugation to another person.“For ye into like thraldome me did throw,
And kept from complishing the faith which I did owe.”