feudal
UK /ˈfjuːdəl/ · US /ˈfju.dəl/ adjective
Synonyms
Etymology
From Old French feodal, from Medieval Latin feodalis, from feodum, feudum, fevum (“fief, fee”), from Frankish *fehu (“cattle, owndom, property, fee”), from Proto-Germanic *fehu (“cattle”). By surface analysis, feud (“estate”) + -al. More at fee.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to feuds, fiefs, or feels; as, feudal rights or services; feudal tenures.
- adjective Consisting of, or founded upon, feuds or fiefs; embracing tenures by military services; as, the feudal system.
Etymology [F. féodal, or LL. feudalis.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “feudal”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details