vassal

noun

vas·​sal ˈva-səl 

1

: a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom they have 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 Europeans will either become vassals of those empires or learn to stand on their own. — Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026

At the time, while the Zhou royal house nominally ruled the Central Plains, their vassal states competed with one another for resources. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026

Cuba would not accept to become a vassal state or a dependent state from any other country or any other superpower. — NBC news, 22 Mar. 2026

It was fed by the strategic hot take that Moscow is an ally-in-waiting for the United States against China, rather than – increasingly – an energy-producing vassal to Beijing. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 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