Indenture refers to a legal and binding agreement, contract, or document between two or more parties. Traditionally, these documents featured indented sides or perforated edges. Historically, indenture has also referred to a contract binding one person to work for another for a set period of time (indentured servant), particularly European immigrants. In modern-day finance, the word indenture most commonly appears in bond agreements, real estate deals, and some aspects of bankruptcies, such as proof of a claim on property.