serfdom
serfdom Lexical Profile
serfdom Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The state, status, or socio-economic institution of being a serf under feudalism, in which peasant laborers were legally bound to a hereditary plot of land and subject to the will of its lord.
"The official abolition of serfdom in 1861 fundamentally transformed the agricultural economy of the Russian Empire."
A state of extreme economic, political, or social subjugation and lack of personal autonomy.
"Critics argued that predatory lending practices had trapped generations of low-wage workers in a modern form of financial serfdom."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often compared to slavery, serfdom specifically describes a feudal status in which laborers were legally bound to a plot of land rather than owned outright as movable personal property.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the mid-19th century by combining 'serf' (from Old French 'serf', ultimately from Latin 'servus' meaning 'slave' or 'servant') with the native English suffix '-dom' denoting state or condition.