What does proslavery mean?
Proslavery is an adjective meaning favorable or supportive of slavery. It may characterize a person, organization, policy, speech, ideology, or body of rhetoric, as in “proslavery advocates” or “proslavery rhetoric.” The word is especially associated with the political and economic conflicts surrounding slavery and abolition in the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries. Although historically it could describe a position neutrally, modern use is overwhelmingly critical: calling something proslavery normally identifies it as an endorsement of human bondage and invokes the moral, economic, and political harms associated with that institution. The term can also be applied more broadly to contemporary practices or arguments that resemble the defense of slavery, although such comparisons are sometimes debated. Proslavery is useful because it distinguishes active support for slavery from opposition to it and from the institution of slavery itself.
adjectiveSupporting, favoring, or advocating the institution of slavery.
- Favoring or supporting slavery as a social, political, or economic institution.
"The speech was condemned for its proslavery rhetoric."
"The speech was condemned for its proslavery rhetoric."
"Historians continue to debate the extent of Northern proslavery complicity."
The word can describe support for a system whose defining feature was treating human beings as property to be owned and sold.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does proslavery come from?
Proslavery is an English compound formed from pro-, meaning “in favor of,” and slavery. The prefix derives from Latin pro, “on the side of” or “in favor of,” while slavery descends through Medieval Latin from slave. The compound became established in English during the 19th-century debates over abolition and the expansion of slaveholding territories. Words including slave, enslave, slavery, and slaveholder ultimately share the Latin root sclavus, which became associated in medieval European usage with Slavic peoples and the practice of captivity.
How proslavery is actually used
The term is predominantly historical and politically charged. In present-day usage it normally carries strong disapproval, especially when describing institutions, policies, advocates, or rhetoric defending slavery.
Easily confused with proslavery
Slavery names the institution of human bondage, whereas proslavery describes support for that institution.