feudal
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or like the feudal system, or its political, military, social, and economic structure.
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of or relating to the Middle Ages.
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of, relating to, or of the nature of a fief or fee.
a feudal estate.
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of or relating to the holding of land in a fief or fee.
adjective
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of, resembling, relating to, or characteristic of feudalism or its institutions
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of, characteristic of, or relating to a fief Compare allodial
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derogatory old-fashioned, reactionary, etc
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of feudal
From the Medieval Latin word feudālis, dating back to 1605–15. See feud 2, -al 1
Explanation
Anything feudal relates to the medieval system of feudalism — where the nobility owned the land while everyone else worked it. It was no fun to be a lowly serf in the feudal system. Though it has roots in Latin, the adjective feudal (and its relative feudalism) were created by historians to describe the social system after it actually took place. Feudal may both look and sound similar to feud as in a long standing fight, but it’s not actually related — unless the argument happened to take place in medieval Europe.
Vocabulary lists containing feudal
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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Vocabulary from the Magna Carta on its 800th Anniversary
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"Democracy in America, Vol. 1" by Alexis de Tocqueville, Introduction–Chapter 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
According to Easton, racial hierarchy in the United States followed what he called “European slavery” under “the Feudal system,” where “slaves were fixed to the soil.”
From Salon • Nov. 10, 2024
They are the hosts of “The Feudal Future Podcast.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2022
Feudal politicians also have to work harder for their constituents’ votes.
From Economist • Jan. 4, 2018
Feudal society's scheme of estates was bound by chains of oaths between lords and vassals, right up to the king.
From The Guardian • May 23, 2013
When the Feudal System became fixed, such things might become less frequent, but, generally speaking, the law of the survival of the strongest prevailed.
From Education in England in the Middle Ages Thesis Approved for the Degree of Doctor of Science in the University of London by Parry, Albert William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
