vassal

noun

vas·​sal ˈva-səl 

1

: a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage and fealty : a feudal tenant

2

: one in a subservient or subordinate position

vassal adjective

Examples of vassal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Chechens made the mistake of trying to negotiate with Putin in the second war part 2, and ended up with a Soviet dictator and a vassal state handing their oil wealth to the oligarchs in Moscow. —Joshua Sammons, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025

In Iraq, the U.S. toppled Saddam Hussein, then departed, having turned Iran’s largest and most dangerous neighbor from an enemy to a vassal even before Tehran’s militias rescued Baghdad from ISIS, and then stayed. —Karl Vick, Time, 19 June 2025

Over the decades the relationship has shifted and re-shifted and re-shifted again, with Disney at times viewed as a corporate overlord and Anaheim seen as a vassal state. —Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 13 July 2025

Every traveler becomes a trespasser and every host is simultaneously a vassal. —Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin vassallus "serf of the manor house, household servant, lord's man who has received a fief," borrowed from Gaulish *wassall-, derivative of *wass- "servant" (whence Medieval Latin vassus "serf, servant, holder of a fief"), going back to Celtic *wosto-, whence Welsh gwas "boy, servant," Middle Breton goas, Old Irish foss "servant, attendant"

Note: Celtic *wasto- is generally taken to continue Indo-European *upo-sth₂-o- "one who stands under," which may be correct if Gaulish *wass- shares with British Celtic unrounding of o in this position.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for vassal

• castle
• facile
• gracile
• hassall
• hassle
• passel
• tassel
• fluorouracil
• thiouracil
• forecastle
• uracil
• propylthiouracil

Kids Definition

vassal

noun

vas·​sal ˈvas-əl 

: a person in the Middle Ages who received protection and land from a lord in return for loyalty and service