villeinage

Or vil·lain·age,

[vil-uh-nij]

noun

1. the tenure by which a villein held land and tenements from a lord.

2. the condition or status of a villein.

villeinage

/ ˈvɪlənɪdʒ /

noun

1. the status and condition of a villein

2. the tenure by which a villein held his land

Word History and Origins

Origin of villeinage¹

1275–1325; Middle English vilenage < Anglo-French, Old French. See villein, -age

Example Sentences

Once elected, whether by the actual ceremony or by a survival of it, he assumed control over the tenants in villeinage and over the waste lands of the tribe.

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It is not necessary for us further to notice the existence of villeinage or slavery in these kingdoms.

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Feudalism, too, had its proletariat—the villeinage—which contains all the germs of the middle class.

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Husbandry land held in villeinage was inherited according to the custom of its manor as administered in the lords manorial court.

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The rebels at first demanded no more than that Richard should declare villeinage abolished, and that all feudal dues and services should be commuted for a rent of fourpence an acre.

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