feudal
Of knights' era
Feudal describes the medieval European system where lords granted land to vassals in exchange for military service and loyalty.
The hierarchy ran from kings through nobles to peasants bound to the land.
Extended to any rigidly hierarchical arrangement with strong obligations between levels: The company had a feudal structure where employees owed personal loyalty to their managers.
Often used critically to suggest outdated or oppressive power relationships.
Feudal superior or subject
- lordNobleman or ruler
- serfBonded agricultural laborer
- peasantLow-status agricultural laborer
- knightHonored mounted soldier
squire · page · overlord · suzerain · baron · duke · count · earl
Landed aristocratic residence
- demesneLord's private estate
- estateProperty and grounds
- domainArea of control
- tenureProtected employment status
seigniory · freehold · leasehold · entailment · primogeniture · barony · duchy · kingdom
Pledged devotion to authority
- homageExpression of deep respect
- oathFormal binding promise
- allegianceLoyalty owed to authority
- tributeOffering of respect
tithe · service · duty · loyalty · bondage · indenture · vassalage · knight-service
Medieval estate labor system
- serfdomFeudal bound labor
- villeinageFeudal tenant bondage
- peasantryRural working class
- nobilityTitled ruling class
gentry · aristocracy · chivalry · knighthood · peerage · caste · subjugation · servitude
Fortified medieval residence
- keepRetain or fortified tower
- joustMounted lance combat
- tournamentMulti-round competitive event
- heraldryStudy of armorial bearings
coat of arms · crusade · troubadour · minstrel · chivalric · courtly · siege · fortification
liege
Feudal superior or subject
knight · squire · page · overlord · suzerain · baron · duke · count · earl · seneschal
manor
Landed aristocratic residence
tenure · seigniory · freehold · leasehold · entailment · primogeniture · barony · duchy · kingdom · realm
fealty
Pledged devotion to authority
- homageExpression of deep respect
- oathFormal binding promise
- allegianceLoyalty owed to authority
tribute · tithe · service · duty · loyalty · bondage · indenture · vassalage · knight-service · relief
manorialism
Medieval estate labor system
- serfdomFeudal bound labor
- villeinageFeudal tenant bondage
- peasantryRural working class
nobility · gentry · aristocracy · chivalry · knighthood · peerage · caste · subjugation · servitude · tenantry
castle
Fortified medieval residence
- keepRetain or fortified tower
- joustMounted lance combat
- tournamentMulti-round competitive event
heraldry · coat of arms · crusade · troubadour · minstrel · chivalric · courtly · siege · fortification · moat
shogunate
Military dictatorship in Japan
ronin · sankin-kotai · retainer · castle town · warrior class
- fantasy/medievalknights, dragons, castles, swords, quests
- historyancient civilizations, past events, historian, epochs, era
- medievalknights, castles, cathedral, kings, queens
- knighthoodknight, knights, knight errant, knights errant, Templars
- nobilityking, queen, prince, princess, duke
- Edo Japanshogun, samurai, shogunate, daimyo, Tokugawa
feudaldemocratic
Government by the people
capitalist · republican · socialist · egalitarian · communist
feudalmodern
Of recent times
contemporary · industrial · current · post-industrial · postmodern
feudalegalitarian
Equality principle supporter
free · classless · meritocratic · democratic · emancipated
- feudal lordLand-granting medieval ruler
- feudal systemMedieval land-loyalty arrangement
- feudal societyLand-for-loyalty governance structure
- feudal contractMedieval lord-vassal agreement
- feudal eraTime of lord-serf hierarchy
- feudal JapanPre-modern warrior-ruled archipelago
feudalism, feudalistic, feudal system, feudally, feudal lords, feudal lord, feudal systems