# feudalism

/ˈfjudəˌɫɪzəm/ (US) · /fjˈuːdəlˌɪzəm/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/feudalism
Updated: 2026-05-26

## Definition

a system of government and land ownership that existed in the Middle Ages. In this system, a king gave land to powerful lords, who in turn gave it to knights in exchange for military service.

For teachers: a hierarchical system of land ownership and political power that characterized medieval Europe. It is defined by the reciprocal obligations between a lord and his vassals, where land was granted in exchange for military or administrative service.

## Examples

- The king granted land to the lords under the feudal system.
- Historians study how feudalism eventually collapsed as trade and centralized monarchies grew in power during the late Middle Ages.
- The transition from feudalism to a more modern capitalist economy was marked by the gradual erosion of serfdom and the rise of a mobile, wage-earning labor force.

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