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Glite Dictionary
feudal lordship

feudal lordship

9.9
The power and land a lord had in the Middle Ages
  • noun
  • /ˈfjuːdəl ˈlɔrdʃɪp/
translation icon : señorío feudal
  • Many castles were centers of feudal lordship and administration.

Examples

  • The feudal lordship granted him significant power over the land.

  • He inherited the feudal lordship after his father's death.

  • The decline of feudal lordship changed the structure of medieval society.

  • During the medieval period, a feudal lordship was essential for governance.

  • The feudal lordship granted him control over the land and the people who lived there.

  • During the medieval period, a knight would often pledge loyalty to his feudal lordship in exchange for protection.

  • The decline of feudal lordship marked a significant change in the power dynamics of Europe.

Synonyms

fiefdom
vsfeudal lordship
9 9.6

An area controlled by one person or group, like a private kingdom

is focused on medieval position and authority, not modern metaphorical control
lordship
vsfeudal lordship
6 9.4

Power that a person has over land and people in the past

is the title for position and domain rather than just authority
seigniory
vsfeudal lordship
  • Archaic
9.9

Power and land that a local lord had in the past

is the broader position and domain rather than this specific name
seigneury
vsfeudal lordship
  • Archaic
9.9

Land and power owned by a lord under the old feudal system in France or French Canada

is the same authority but not limited to that region

How Powerful

sovereignty
127 8.0
dominion
  • Formal
24 7.7
feudal lordship
9.9
lordship
6 9.4
local authority
  • UK
51 3.4

Surface Forms

feudal lordship singular
feudal lordships plural

Morphology

feudal + lordship

The noun is a straightforward composition of 'feudal' (relating to feudalism) and 'lordship' (authority or domain of a lord), so the combined meaning — authority or domain held by a feudal lord — is directly derivable from the parts. This literal adjective + noun pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand the MWE.

Etymology

Feudal lordship comes from the Middle Ages, when a lord owned land, lived in a castle, and local people worked for him in return for protection. Because lordship named the lord's control over land and people, the phrase now means 'the power or area a lord controlled'.