infeudation
Definition
- Noun:
- Historical legal term: "infeudation" refers to the act of granting a feudal estate or fief to a vassal by a lord in the feudal system.
- The document of grant: It can also mean the charter or written instrument by which such a grant is made.
Usage Examples
- (The act of granting a feudal estate to a noble.)
- (The document recording the grant of a fief.)
Advanced Usage
"Infeudation of land": the formal transfer of land tenure under feudal law.
- The infeudation of land required the vassal to swear an oath of fealty. (The grant of land came with a pledge of loyalty.)
"Subinfeudation": a related process where a vassal granted part of his fief to a sub-vassal.
- Subinfeudation was common in the medieval period, creating a hierarchy of landholders. (A vassal passing on land to a lesser lord.)
Variants and Related Words
Infeoffment (n): a synonym for infeudation, more commonly used in legal history.
- The infeoffment ceremony involved the symbolic delivery of a clod of earth. (The formal act of granting a fief.)
Feudal (adj): relating to the medieval system of land tenure.
- Feudal obligations included military service and payment of rents. (Pertaining to the feudal system.)
Synonyms
- Investiture: the formal granting of a title or estate.
- Enfeoffment: the act of granting a fief (synonymous with infeudation).
Related Idioms
Grant of a fief: the specific legal action of infeudation.
- The grant of a fief was accompanied by a ceremony of homage. (The infeudation involved formal rituals.)
Feudal tenure: the system of landholding under which infeudation occurred.
- Feudal tenure was based on the exchange of land for service. (The legal framework for infeudation.)
Phrasal Verbs