feudalism
[ fyood-l-iz-uh m ]
/ ˈfyud lˌɪz əm /
noun
the feudal system, or its principles and practices.
OTHER WORDS FROM feudalism
Words nearby feudalism
feuar,
feuchtwanger,
feud,
feudal,
feudal system,
feudalism,
feudality,
feudalize,
feudatory,
feudist,
feuerbach
Example sentences from the Web for feudalism
British Dictionary definitions for feudalism
feudalism
/ (ˈfjuːdəˌlɪzəm) /
noun
Also called: feudal system
the legal and social system that evolved in W Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries, in which vassals were protected and maintained by their lords, usually through the granting of fiefs, and were required to serve under them in war
See also vassalage, fief
any social system or society, such as medieval Japan or Ptolemaic Egypt, that resembles medieval European feudalism
Derived forms of feudalism
feudalist, noun feudalistic, adjectiveCultural definitions for feudalism
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
Today, the word
feudal is sometimes used as a general term for a set of social relationships that seems unprogressive or out of step with modern society.