Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
👑 A feudal lord 🛡️ A feudal vassal 🤝 Feudal loyalty
liege

liege

9.9
Owing loyalty and service to a lord
  • adjective
  • /liːdʒ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : vasallo
  • The knights gathered before their liege lord to pledge loyalty and service.

Examples

  • In medieval times, a liege lord had many vassals.

  • He swore to remain a liege subject of his king until death.

  • In ancient times, peasants served as liege men to powerful nobles.

  • The knight swore to be liege to his lord.

  • He pledged his liege loyalty to the king during the feudal ceremony.

  • The vassals showed great respect to their liege leader at the gathering.

  • Historically, knights were expected to serve their liege lords without question.

Compounds

liege lord
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A powerful noble who gets loyalty and service from knights and farmers

liege subject
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who owes loyalty and service to a lord in medieval times

Surface Forms

liege positive

Etymology

Liege as an adjective comes from the old idea of mutual 'duty' and loyalty in feudal times. So to be liege means to owe, or be owed, loyalty and service.