vassals
|vas-sal|
🇺🇸
/ˈvæsəl/
🇬🇧
/ˈvæs(ə)l/
(vassal)
subordinate
Etymology
'vassal' originates from Old French 'vassal', specifically Medieval Latin 'vassallus', where the root meant 'servant' or 'young man'.
'vassal' changed from Medieval Latin 'vassallus' to Old French 'vassal' and entered Middle English as 'vassal', eventually becoming the modern English word 'vassal'.
Initially, it meant 'servant' or 'young man', but over time it evolved into its current primary meaning of 'a holder of land by feudal tenure or a subordinate person'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'vassal': a person granted the use of land (a fief) in return for services, especially military service, to a lord under the feudal system.
Many vassals owed military service to their lord in times of war.
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Noun 2
figurative: people in a subordinate or dependent position who are subject to the authority or control of another.
The company treated its smaller partners as vassals rather than equals.
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Last updated: 2025/10/08 05:37