Definitions for feudalism
ˈfyud lˌɪz əmfeu·dal·ism

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.5 / 4 votes

1. feudalism, feudal systemnoun

   the social system that developed in Europe in the 8th century; vassals were protected by lords who they had to serve in war

WiktionaryRate this definition:1.7 / 3 votes

1. feudalismnoun

   A social system based on personal ownership of resources and personal fealty between a suzerain (lord) and a vassal (subject). Defining characteristics are direct ownership of resources, personal loyalty, and a hierarchical social structure reinforced by religion.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Feudalism

   Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring society around relationships that were derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour. Although it is derived from the Latin word feodum or feudum (fief), which was used during the Medieval period, the term feudalism and the system which it describes were not conceived of as a formal political system by the people who lived during the Middle Ages. The classic definition, by François Louis Ganshof (1944), describes a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations which existed among the warrior nobility and revolved around the three key concepts of lords, vassals, and fiefs.A broader definition of feudalism, as described by Marc Bloch (1939), includes not only the obligations of the warrior nobility but the obligations of all three estates of the realm: the nobility, the clergy, and the peasantry, all of whom were bound by a system of manorialism; this is sometimes referred to as a "feudal society". Since the publication of Elizabeth A. R. Brown's "The Tyranny of a Construct" (1974) and Susan Reynolds's Fiefs and Vassals (1994), there has been ongoing inconclusive discussion among medieval historians as to whether feudalism is a useful construct for understanding medieval society.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. Feudalismnoun

   the feudal system; a system by which the holding of estates in land is made dependent upon an obligation to render military service to the kind or feudal superior; feudal principles and usages

2. Etymology: [Cf. F. fodalisme.]

WikidataRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Feudalism

   Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour. Although derived from the Latin word feodum or feudum, then in use, the term feudalism and the system it describes were not conceived of as a formal political system by the people living in the medieval period. In its classic definition, by François-Louis Ganshof, feudalism describes a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility, revolving around the three key concepts of lords, vassals, and fiefs. There is also a broader definition, as described by Marc Bloch, that includes not only warrior nobility but all three estates of the realm: the nobility, the clerics, and the peasantry bonds of manorialism; this is sometimes referred to as a "feudal society". Since 1974 with the publication of Elizabeth A. R. Brown's The Tyranny of a Construct, and Susan Reynolds' Fiefs and Vassals, there has been ongoing inconclusive discussion among medieval historians as to whether feudalism is a useful construct for understanding medieval society.

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Feudalism

   or the Feudal system, that system which prevailed in Europe during the Middle Ages and in England from the Norman Conquest, by which vassals held their lands from the lord-superior on condition of military service when required, for "the extreme unction day" of which see Carlyle's "French Revolution," vol. i. Bk. 4.

Anagrams for feudalism »

1. sulfamide

How to pronounce feudalism?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

   South African

How to say feudalism in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of feudalism in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of feudalism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of feudalism in a Sentence

1. Mogens Jallberg:

   In democracy its your vote that counts. In feudalism its your count that votes.

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=feudalism
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Feudalism
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudalism
4. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feudalism
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=feudalism
6. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Feudalism