feudal system
Americannoun
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the political, military, and social system in medieval Europe, based on the holding of lands in fief or fee and on the resulting relations between lord and vassal.
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a system of political, economic, and social organization similar to the system in the Middle Ages.
The emancipation of the serfs in 1861 under Alexander II signaled the end of the feudal system in Russia.
Usage
What is a feudal system? A feudal system (also known as feudalism) is a type of social and political system in which landholders provide land to tenants in exchange for their loyalty and service.Feudalism prevailed in the Middle Ages in Europe and Japan and generally involved a lord (the landowner) allowing vassals (tenants) to rent the land by providing services, especially military service. The parcel of land, called a fief, was typically worked by serfs, laborers who had very few rights and were bound to the land itself.The term feudal system is often used in a much more general way in political rhetoric to indicate an outdated, exploitative system of government. This usage may or may not actually refer to relationships that don't look anything like historical feudal systems.
Etymology
Origin of feudal system
First recorded in 1770–80
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.
When the Song dynasty took over China in the late 10th century, the feudal system that gave aristocrats control of land and peasants in return for military service was breaking down.
From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 29, 2025
But there are significant differences between then and now: Under the feudal system, the lord had, in principle, certain obligations to peasants in addition to his right to command them.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2025
The largely rural population is scattered over the mountainous landscape, crippled by an entrenched feudal system, under-development and neglect by the local and central government.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 21, 2023
In the Medieval period, Europe had a feudal system in which kings granted land to nobles, landlords and knights in exchange for military assistance in wartime.
From Scientific American • May 31, 2023
That’s the kind of fatalism and pessimism typical of a repressive feudal system, where peasants have no reason to believe in the efficacy of their own work.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
