Antislavery

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Opposing or working against the practice of slavery and advocating for its abolition
2. Characterized by opposition to slavery and support for the freedom of enslaved people
3. Actively working to end slavery and promote the liberation of those held in bondage

Etymology: "Antislavery" is a plain compound: the prefix "anti-", from Greek "anti" meaning "against," joined to "slavery." Its meaning follows directly from those parts, opposing the holding of people as property. The second element, "slavery," is the older and more consequential half. It describes the condition of being a slave, and the English word arrived as a noun with a long history of its own. Putting "anti-" in front of it marks a position taken against that practice, so the compound is best understood as a label for a stance rather than a condition. Because the formation is so transparent, the word needs little more explanation. Its parts carry the whole meaning, and the prefix does exactly what prefixes in English always do: it turns a state of affairs into a position about it.

Synonyms: abolitionist

Antonyms: pro-slavery