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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Vassal

/ˈvæsəl/ · noun

Meaning

(historical, law) The grantee of a fief, a subordinate granted use of a superior's land and its income in exchange for vows of fidelity and homage and (typically) military service..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (historical, law) The grantee of a fief, a subordinate granted use of a superior's land and its income in exchange for vows of fidelity and homage and (typically) military service.
  2. (historical) Any direct subordinate bound by such vows to a superior.
  3. (figurative) Any subordinate bound by similar close ties.
  4. Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile.
  5. (transitive) To treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.
  6. (transitive) To subordinate to someone or something.

Example Sentences

The manor's vassals owed first fruits and a tithe to the parish church, another 10% to the lord (including at least 50 eels), a week or two each year of service in the manor's upkeep, and service in the local fyrd.
It was superimposed on rules of conduct evolved at an earlier date as the spontaneous expression of class consciousness; rules that pertained to the fealty of vassals (the transition appears clearly, towards the end of the eleventh century, in the Book of the Christian Life by Bishop Bonizo of Sutri, for whom the knight is, first and foremost, an enfeoffed vassal ) and constituted above all a class code of noble and 'courteous' people.
The king ordered his vassals to join him on the crusade unless they had a written note signed by the archbishop or pope.
The vassals of his anger.
Did they, quoth you? / Who sees the heavenly Rosaline / That, like a rude and savage man of Inde / At the first opening of the gorgeous east / Bows not his vassal head and strucken blind / Kisses the base ground with obedient breast?

Synonyms for vassal

feudatoryfeudal tenantsubjectdependantbondsmanvilleinserfhelotthrallservantslaveliegemanliege subjectliege

Antonyms for vassal

Related Words

feudatoryliegemanliegeliege subjectserfclientslaveminionservantretainervesselfieffeudvilleinhomagegeneatfiefholdsuperiortributebenefice

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does vassal mean?

Vassal means (historical, law) The grantee of a fief, a subordinate granted use of a superior's land and its income in exchange for vows of fidelity and homage and (typically) military service..

What is a synonym for vassal?

Common synonyms include feudatory, feudal tenant, subject, dependant.

What is the opposite of vassal?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use vassal in a sentence?

The manor's vassals owed first fruits and a tithe to the parish church, another 10% to the lord (including at least 50 eels), a week or two each year of service in the manor's upkeep, and service in the local fyrd.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.