feudal

adjective

feu·​dal ˈfyü-dᵊl 

1

: of, relating to, or suggestive of feudalism

feudal law

a feudal lord

2

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a medieval fee (see fee entry 1 sense 1)

feudal rights and services

feudally

ˈfyü-dᵊl-ē 

adverb

Examples of feudal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a feudal era when the king simultaneously led church and state and the common people were known as ‘serfs’ and were effectively owned by their local lords, rebellion was unheard of. — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026

The honeypot sites of royal Rajasthan—spliced by the brown slopes of the Aravalli Range, the state emerged after Partition from a mosaic of 22 feudal kingdoms—are so many people’s taster to India. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026

Originally conceived in 1997 as a Resident Evil game set in feudal Japan, the first entry in the samurai action adventure series was released early in the PlayStation 2’s life cycle. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026

These platforms function less like traditional capitalist firms than feudal estates, extracting rent from businesses, creators, and users who have little choice but to operate on their terrain. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see feud entry 2

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing feudal

• pre-feudal

Rhymes for feudal

• boodle
• doodle
• noodle
• poodle

Kids Definition

feudal

adjective

feu·​dal ˈfyüd-ᵊl 

: of or relating to feudalism

feudally adverb