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History vocabulary · Social History

Feudalism

Meaning in history, with examples

/ˈfjuːdəlɪzəm/nounCommon term

In history, feudalism means: A term for the social and political order of medieval Europe in which lords granted land to vassals in return for loyalty and military service, while peasants worked the land.

In Turkish: feodalizm, derebeylik düzeni

How it is used

A standard textbook term, but many medieval historians now find it too simple, because arrangements varied greatly by time and place. Related words include fief, lord, vassal, manor and serf. Marxist historians use it more broadly for a stage of economic development.

Example sentences

  1. Under feudalism, a knight held land from his lord in return for military service.

  2. Some historians argue that the word feudalism hides more than it explains.

Common collocations

  • European feudalism
  • the feudal system
  • feudal lord
  • the decline of feudalism
  • vassalIn medieval Europe, a person who held land from a lord in return for loyalty and service; more broadly, a ruler or state that accepts the authority of a stronger power.
  • serfIn medieval and early modern Europe, a peasant who was legally bound to a lord's land, owed labour and dues, and could not leave without permission.
  • peasantA person who lives in the countryside and farms a small piece of land with family labour, often paying rent, taxes or labour services to a landowner or the state.
  • aristocracyThe highest social class in many societies, made up of noble families who usually held inherited titles, land and political influence.
  • Middle AgesThe period of European history between the end of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century and roughly the late fifteenth century.

More terms: Social History

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