Enthrallment

/ɪnˈθrɔːlmənt/ noun

Definition

The state of being completely captivated or held under someone's power; the condition of being enslaved or deeply fascinated.

Etymology

From enthrall (Old English thrall meaning servant or slave) plus -ment suffix. The 'en-' prefix means to cause to be in a state, so enthrall originally meant to enslave, but evolved to mean fascinate completely.

Kelly Says

The word shows how our vocabulary evolved from physical slavery to emotional captivation—today we use 'enthrallment' for things like being 'enthralled by a movie,' but the word's skeleton still carries the memory of actual bondage from centuries ago.

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