feudal

adjective

feu·dal | \ ˈfyü-dᵊl

How to pronounce feudal (audio)

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Definition of feudal

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

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Examples of feudal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Judging from the imagery in the trailer above, pre-League Sinnoh region looks a lot like feudal Japan. — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, "Pokémon Is Getting the Breath of the Wild Treatment," 26 Feb. 2021 The opening sequence, approximately 10 minutes long, is set in feudal Japan. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "Everything you may have missed in the Mortal Kombat trailer," 18 Feb. 2021 That revolutionary British text, handwritten by feudal lords on sheepskin in 1215, was a treaty signed between British nobles and their king. — Michael J. Coren, Quartz, "The British monarchy’s latest “treaty” asks CEOs to recognize the rights of nature," 13 Jan. 2021 Starving refugees were scattered and forced into a new economy defined by neo-feudal servitude and wage labor. — Alexander Zaitchik, The New Republic, "The Urgent Case for Shrinking the Economy," 28 Dec. 2020 The project has been so successful that both cops and their civilian counterparts have begun to treat guns as far more than mere tools—rather, as guarantors of their own honored place in society, like a feudal knight’s sword. — Alex Yablon, The New Republic, "Why Police Back Gun Guys," 20 Nov. 2020 Blanche suggests a feudal warlord in a samurai movie. — Armond White, National Review, "Let Him Go: A Morally Superior Neo-Western," 6 Nov. 2020 But the phrase came to mean more than simply a way of escaping feudal bondage. — Jonah Goldberg Tribune News Service (tns), Star Tribune, "GOP disdain for big cities is a losing strategy," 27 Oct. 2020 During the medieval period, England started treating its northern neighbor much like a feudal territory. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, "Aerial Surveys Reveal Possible Fort of Scottish Patriot William Wallace," 6 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'feudal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

5 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Feudal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feudal. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for feudal

feudal

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of feudal

: of or relating to feudalism

See the full definition for feudal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

feudal

adjective

feu·dal | \ ˈfyü-dᵊl

\

Kids Definition of feudal

: relating to feudalism

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