Feudal (Adjective)
Meaning
Of or relating to or characteristic of feudalism.
Classification
Relational adjectives (pertainyms).
Examples
- The medieval social structure was based on a feudal hierarchy, with lords owning the land and peasants working it in exchange for protection and shelter.
- In feudal Japan, the emperor was the supreme authority, but the shoguns held the actual power.
- The feudal system gave rise to a class of powerful nobles who controlled large tracts of land and commanded armies of vassals.
- The peasants lived in a state of serfdom, bound to the land and forced to work it for the feudal lord who owned it.
- The decline of the feudal system marked the beginning of a new era of economic and social transformation in Europe.