serfdom

7 synonyms and 3 antonyms for serfdom, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The condition of a serf: a form of bondage under feudalism in which a peasant was tied to a lord's estate, owed labour and dues, and could not leave without permission.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

bondage

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

villeinage thraldom vassalage serfhood servitude subjugation

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The condition of a serf: a form of bondage under feudalism in which a peasant was tied to a lord's estate, owed labour and dues, and could not leave without permission.

“Serfdom was abolished in Russia in 1861.”

villeinage bondage thraldom vassalage serfhood

Opposites

freedom emancipation manumission

2. noun

Any condition of servitude or powerless dependence, used figuratively.

“He described the contract as a kind of corporate serfdom.”

servitude subjugation

How to use serfdom

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

the abolition of serfdom reduced to serfdom under serfdom wage serfdom

Historical and formal; the figurative use is rhetorical.

Etymology

From serf, borrowed from French serf, from Latin servus 'slave', plus the English suffix -dom denoting a condition or state.

Full origin of serfdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between serfdom and slavery?

A slave was owned outright as property and could be bought and sold as an individual. A serf was legally bound to the land rather than to a person, kept a household and a plot to work, and passed with the estate if it changed hands. Serfs had customary rights and duties, but in practice their freedom was severely limited.

When did serfdom end?

It ended at very different times across Europe. It had largely faded in England by the sixteenth century, was abolished in France in 1789, in the Austrian Empire in stages from 1781, and in Russia by the emancipation edict of 1861.

What did serfs actually have to do?

They worked their own plots to feed themselves and owed the lord set days of labour on his land, along with dues in produce or money and fees for using the mill, oven and other manorial facilities. They also needed permission to marry outside the manor or to leave it.

People also searched

freedom bondage emancipation vassalage villeinage manumission thraldom subjugation servitude

Nearby words

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