feudalism
Use Feudalism in a sentence
Ads
Research Feudalism www.questia.com/Feudalism Full-Text Books, Journals, Articles Online at Questia.com. Free Trial!
Get The Dictionary.com Mobile App! www.dictionary.com/mobile Enjoy Exclusive Features like Voice Search! iPhone, Android, iPad, BlackBerry, Windows & More. Download Now!
lˌɪz noun
the feudal system, or its principles and practices.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To feudalism
Collins
World English Dictionary
feudalism (ˈfjuːdəˌlɪzəm) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | vassalage See also fief 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 |
| 2. | any social system or society, such as medieval Japan or Ptolemaic Egypt, that resembles medieval European feudalism |
| 'feudalist | |
| —n | |
| feudal'istic | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Feudalism
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Etymonline
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
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.)
Note: 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.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Tens of millions of people remain stuck in a sink of feudalism, repression and hunger.
Neither can intolerance, feudalism, terrorism and economic malaise.
He then began a new system of government known as feudalism.
Also there is perhaps a sense that the world has moved on from feudalism.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
