feudalism
the feudal system, or its principles and practices.
Origin of feudalism
1Other words from feudalism
- feu·dal·ist, noun
- feu·dal·is·tic, adjective
- an·ti·feu·dal·ism, noun
- an·ti·feu·dal·ist, noun
- an·ti·feu·dal·is·tic, adjective
- pre·feu·dal·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for feudalism
/ (ˈfjuːdəˌlɪzəm) /
any social system or society, such as medieval Japan or Ptolemaic Egypt, that resembles medieval European feudalism
Derived forms of feudalism
- feudalist, noun
- feudalistic, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for feudalism
[ (fyoohd-l-iz-uhm) ]
A system of obligations that bound lords and their subjects in Europe during much of the Middle Ages. In theory, the king owned all or most of the land and gave it to his leading nobles in return for their loyalty and military service. The nobles in turn held land that peasants, including serfs, were allowed to farm in return for the peasants' labor and a portion of their produce. Under feudalism, people were born with a permanent position in society. (See fief and vassal.)
Notes for feudalism
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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