feudal system

Friendly

Word: Feudal System

Part of Speech: Noun

Simple Explanation: The feudal system was a way of organizing society that started in Europe around the 8th century. In this system, there were different levels of people with different roles. At the top were lords (powerful landowners). They had land and offered protection to vassals (less powerful people) in exchange for their loyalty and military service. Vassals would serve in battles and help the lords, and in return, the lords would protect them and give them land to live on.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "feudal system" when talking about historical societies, especially in Europe during the Middle Ages.
• It is not commonly used in everyday conversation but can be discussed in history classes or when talking about social structures.

Example Sentence:

"The feudal system made it so that lords and vassals had a strong relationship based on loyalty and protection during medieval times."

Advanced Usage:

• When discussing the feudal system, you can also talk about its impact on modern social structures or compare it to other systems like capitalism or socialism.
• You might say, "The feudal system influenced later societal hierarchies and land ownership patterns in Europe."

Word Variants:

• Feudalism (noun): The political and economic system based on the feudal system.
• Feudal (adjective): Relating to the feudal system. For example, "In feudal societies, social classes were very rigid."

Different Meanings:

• The term "feudal" can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe any hierarchical system where one party is dependent on another for protection or support, even in modern contexts.

Synonyms:

• Feudalism: The system itself, but often used interchangeably.
• Manorialism: A related term that describes the organization of rural economy and society in the Middle Ages, focusing on the lord's manor.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "feudal system," but you can use phrases like "to serve someone" in a more general sense to imply loyalty or service, which connects back to the idea of vassals serving lords.

Academic

Noun

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

Synonyms

• feudalism