enslaver

This term carries a heavy moral and historical weight, specifically identifying the agent of oppression. It focuses on the active role of the individual who imposes bondage, shifting the linguistic focus from the state of being enslaved to the person responsible for the act of enslavement.

In modern academic and social justice contexts, this word is preferred over older terms like slave-owner to emphasize the violent process of making someone a slave rather than the passive ownership of a person. It is almost exclusively used in serious, historical, or legal discussions regarding human rights violations.