tributary
- adjective
- /ˈtrɪb.jə.ter.i/
- Archaic
- Throughout history, tributary states have often been required to pay tribute to their conquerors.
Examples
-
The tributary nations sent gifts to the emperor as a sign of their loyalty.
-
The king demanded that his tributary regions show their allegiance through regular offerings.
-
Let's shift to the next big tributary, which is post colonial theory and you talk about Edward Saeed, New York zone, Columbia zone.
Synonyms
Feeling that you should repay someone for their help
Relating to a system where people owe loyalty to a lord
Antonyms
How Dependent
- Archaic
- Archaic
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Tributary shares its root with tribute, from a Latin word meaning 'to give' or 'payment'. So a 'tributary' state is one that must 'give' goods or money to a stronger power, which is why the word means 'paying tribute' or being dependent.