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villeinage

or vil·lain·age, vil·lan·age, vil·len·age

[ vil-uh-nij ]
/ ˈvɪl ə nɪdʒ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR villeinage

noun

the tenure by which a villein held land and tenements from a lord.
the condition or status of a villein.

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Origin of villeinage

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

Words nearby villeinage

Villavicencio, -ville, Villeda Morales, Ville-de-Paris, villein, villeinage, villein socage, Villella, Villeneuve, Villeurbanne, villi
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to villeinage

enthrallment, servitude, thralldom, servility, thrall, labor, drudge, restraint, indenture, drudgery, yoke, enslavement, captivity, bondage, work, grind, toil, serfdom, subjection, peonage

Example sentences from the Web for villeinage

British Dictionary definitions for villeinage

villeinage

villainage

/ (ˈvɪlənɪdʒ) /

noun (in medieval Europe)

the status and condition of a villein
the tenure by which a villein held his land
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