feudal

[ fyood-l ]

/ ˈfyud l /

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See synonyms for feudal on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, relating to, or like the feudal system, or its political, military, social, and economic structure.

of or relating to the Middle Ages.

of, relating to, or of the nature of a fief or fee: a feudal estate.

of or relating to the holding of land in a fief or fee.

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Origin of feudal

From the Medieval Latin word feudālis, dating back to 1605–15. See feud², -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM feudal

feu·dal·ly, adverban·ti·feu·dal, adjectivenon·feu·dal, adjectivenon·feu·dal·ly, adverb

pre·feu·dal, adjectivequasi-feudal, adjectivequa·si-feu·dal·ly, adverbun·feu·dal, adjectiveun·feu·dal·ly, adverb

Words nearby feudal

fetus, feu, feuar, Feuchtwanger, feud, feudal, feudalism, feudality, feudalize, feudal system, feudatory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use feudal in a sentence

In the Middle Ages in England, they were used in part to get around a feudal form of taxation as well as rules requiring the first born son inherit a father’s property.
The Great Inheritors: How Three Families Shielded Their Fortunes From Taxes for Generations|by Patricia Callahan, James Bandler, Justin Elliott, Doris Burke and Jeff Ernsthausen|December 15, 2021|ProPublica
Looking like feuding feudal lords and ladies isn’t going to help their chances.
How Democrats Bungled Their Big Win on Infrastructure|Philip Elliott|November 9, 2021|Time
A sprawling open-world epic set in feudal Japan, Jin Sakai’s quest to retake his homeland from the invading Mongol army told a compelling story with cinematic visual flair.
PS4 games to play on PS5|Mike Epstein|September 21, 2021|Popular-Science
Meanwhile, neighboring Japan had adopted not only the West’s technology but also its governing methods, transforming a feudal society into a modern industrial state with a formidable military.
China’s path to modernization has, for centuries, gone through my hometown|Yangyang Cheng|June 30, 2021|MIT Technology Review

On Sark, horses and carts and feudal traditions still remain strong.
The Crazy Medieval Island of Sark|Liza Foreman|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That Silicon Valley is moving away from capitalism toward feudalism, with tech CEOs as feudal lords, and this is a good thing.
Occupying the Throne: Justine Tunney, Neoreactionaries, and the New 1%|Arthur Chu|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But they felt discriminated against by the local political bosses and feudal lords who ran the city.
Altaf Hussain Finally Arrested in London; Can His MQM Be Neutralized?|Bruce Riedel|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of the Last Samurai he said, “They make it look like Japan would not have made it out of the feudal period without Tom Cruise.”
Can ‘Belle’ End Hollywood’s Obsession with the White Savior?|Keli Goff|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If that is the case, the new feudal system could shape the evolution of the American class structure for decades to come.
California’s New Feudalism Benefits a Few at the Expense of the Multitude|Joel Kotkin|October 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The object of these scarli is to manifest the popular exultation at the annihilation of feudal tyranny.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
It indeed brought us near to the spirit and customs of feudal times as we wandered about in the gloom of the deserted apartments.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
The castle was built in 1385 and appears to havePg 285 been intended more as a palatial residence than a feudal fortress.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
The castle, rude and ruinous, shows the work of many centuries, and was really a great fortress rather than a feudal residence.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
And the scene continues, weirdly dramatic, like some old romantic tale of feudal days.
Frdric Mistral|Charles Alfred Downer

British Dictionary definitions for feudal (1 of 2)

feudal¹

/ (ˈfjuːdəl) /

adjective

of, resembling, relating to, or characteristic of feudalism or its institutions

of, characteristic of, or relating to a fiefCompare allodial

derogatory old-fashioned, reactionary, etc

Word Origin for feudal

C17: from Medieval Latin feudālis, from feudum feud ²

British Dictionary definitions for feudal (2 of 2)

feudal²

/ (ˈfjuːdəl) /

adjective

of or relating to a feud or quarrel

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

feudal

Origin of feudal

OTHER WORDS FROM feudal

Words nearby feudal

Words related to feudal

How to use feudal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for feudal (1 of 2)

Word Origin for feudal

British Dictionary definitions for feudal (2 of 2)