Word
feudal
Phoneticsfeu·dal
US/ˈfjudəɫ/
UK/fjˈuːdəl/
Definition
adj. relating to a social system from the Middle Ages where people worked for a lord in exchange for land and protection. It describes a society with very strict levels of power.
adj. relating to the social, political, and economic system of medieval Europe based on the holding of land in exchange for service and loyalty. Often used to describe rigid hierarchical structures or outdated social systems.
Examples
“The king controlled the land under the feudal system.”
“Historians study how feudal obligations shaped the daily lives of peasants and knights during the twelfth century.”
“While the formal legal structures of the feudal era have long since vanished, some critics argue that modern corporate hierarchies mirror those ancient power dynamics in unsettling ways.”
Examples
simple
“The king controlled the land under the feudal system.”
contextual
“Historians study how feudal obligations shaped the daily lives of peasants and knights during the twelfth century.”
complex
“While the formal legal structures of the feudal era have long since vanished, some critics argue that modern corporate hierarchies mirror those ancient power dynamics in unsettling ways.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before nouns like 'system', 'society', or 'lord'.
Real-World Examples
“The samurai who did manage to remain in the service of a daimyo , or feudal lord, had to accompany him during the annual season he was obliged to spend in the capital.” Etymology
From Old French feodal, from Medieval Latin feodalis, from feodum, feudum, fevum (“fief, fee”), from Frankish fehu (“cattle, owndom, property, fee”), from Proto-Germanic fehu (“cattle”). By surface analysis, feud (“estate”) + -al. More at fee.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/feudal